The International Rubber Conference was held this year at the Kia Oval in London at the beginning of September. This was the first time that the Conference had been held in the UK for almost 20 years. It was a vibrant event it, with some 500 delegates and a further 100 manning the exhibition stands and a full array of presentations. What was particularly gratifying was the number of participants from the UK. It shows that the UK remains an excellent place for manufacturing rubber goods.