On September 13, 1999, BYK's largest event to date begins: the global Marketing Meeting under the motto "Together into the next Millennium." The highlight of the meeting is the ceremonial opening of the new laboratory building on Abelstraße in Wesel. At a cost of around DM 25 million, BYK has built a 3400 square meter research area – thus doubling the laboratory space.

Part of the new building is also an electrostatic application system (EStA), now standard in the automotive industry. Because BYK can thus better and more systematically identify the problems of customers, laboratory employees can now specifically develop additives: here, the quality of the automotive paint formulation for the application method can be tested under practical conditions, with which automotive paints can be optimally applied using EStA.

The grand finale of the meeting is a lavish party in a party tent measuring almost 3000 square meters. "It was a gigantic organization," recalls BYK's Managing Director at the time, "but it was worth it. The employees were proud to be part of BYK."