Rugby leads the way for chemicals calendar

After all the chemicals conferences where we hear that Europe and the US are finished and the future is all in the east, now the news in sport that Europe is indeed finished and the winners are all in the south. France has been beaten by Argentina, and now England beaten by South Africa in the Rugby World Cup.

And a special thank you to our South African subscribers (Peter, Lynette, Henry) for taking the time at EPCA to come to the ICIS suite to predict this outcome.

Rugby calendars have been very popular this year, particularly the well-loved French “Dieux du Stade” calendar (apologies, no click-through link here because it is far too steamy to be allowed through any corporate firewall.)

At this time of year, our thoughts turn to corporate gifts, an area in which ICIS is generally agreed to excel. I am inspired by the rugby calendars to propose to our PR team a “Dieux du Chemie” calendar. Results from early focus group testing are promising, and the slots for Mr June through to Mr September are quickly filled, with the warm summer months proving more popular than the chilly winter ones.

While the French rugby players pose with the tools of their trade, our focus group feels that the traditional symbols of the chemicals industry – a pen, a mobile phone, a test tube, a business card, a golf club – are insufficiently modest for this calendar. Their more appropriate suggestions include: a laptop, an EPCA delegate pack and Vogel's Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry (5th Edition).
And sorry “Codface”, your suggestion for an “ICIS Babes” calendar has gone straight into the recycle bin.