If the numbers are any indication – three packed days, 1,225 visitors and 330 congress participants – then the French hosts for this year’s edition of the "International Rubber Conference" (IRC) (www.irc2013.com) in Paris can be rest assured that they clearly put on a successful event in March.

Organised by AFICEP (Vitry-sur-Seine / France; www.aficep.com) or the Association Française des Ingénieurs et Cadres du Caoutchouc et des Plastiques and under the auspices of the International Rubber Conference Organisation (IRCO, Grantham / UK; www.internationalrubberconference.org), the event welcomed attendees from all over the world: 70% were French, 20% other Europeans with visitors from the US and Asia accounting for the remaining 10%. There were 20 more exhibitors in 2013 against the 2012 event, which was held in South Korea.

Industry sectors represented at IRC include automotive, chemical, aeronautics, industrial equipment, the medical industry, pharmaceutical industry, BTP, arms, naval construction, leisure activities, sport and others. Additionally, conference organisers stated that a total of 76 companies were in attendance including ones specialising in rubber and polymers. They ranged from suppliers and distributors of raw materials, processing equipment, laboratory equipment.

In terms of the distribution of company level, figures indicate that 33% of participants were in a decision-making function at their organisation.

The Chinese will have big shoes to fill when they host "IRC 2014" in Beijing 16-18 September.