The largest International Rubber Conference (IRC) in the UK this century took place from the 2nd to the 5th September 2019 at the Oval cricket ground in London. Prof James Busfield was the co-chair for the event which attracted 150 oral presentations, 65 posters, 50 exhibitors and 600 delegates. This conference moves around the world every year and was hosted in the UK for the first time since 2001. James was accompanied at the meeting by a total of 18 former or current QMUL researchers who work on elastomers. During the conference the annual International Rubber Conference Organisation held its annual meeting, where James successfully bid for the UK to host the IRC in 2029 again in the UK.