Conference Etiquette at NPRA

SAN ANTONIO (Chemicals Confidential)--I hear there was a bit of a kerfuffle at the Welcome Reception at NPRA on Sunday evening, when one delegate was smoking a cigar next to the buffet carvery counter.

The Blog has written before to deplore the occasional outbreaks of poor etiquette in the petchem industry (Oops, I am turning into Peter Demetriadi here.) How could readers forget the infamous insult upon this writer's person of the one-coffee lunch? Why only last week the whole ICIS London editorial team was outraged after two editors were invited to visit a large industry player in a pleasant forested location in the south of England, and upon arrival found that their host had chosen to be elsewhere for the day.

An insult to one of us is instantly an insult to all of us. Offence is promptly taken.

The following day it emerged that there had been a misunderstanding, apologies ensued and everyone calmed down. As Mr Punch* says: "That's the way to do it."

*British cultural reference to seaside puppet show, to be declaimed in a squeaky voice.

More NPRA gossip and trivia:

1 Bright new eyes for NPRA

2 Best conference jokes

3 Managing expectations at NPRA

4 Houston location for Crazy Heart

5 Charlie Gibson at NPRA Luncheon

6 Miss NPRA Pageant 2010