The Unified International Technical Conference on Refractories is a biennial international conference that contributes to the progress and exchange of industrial knowledge and technologies concerning refractories. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada welcomed more than 650 attendees from around the world Sept. 10–13, 2013. Refractory organizations in the US, Germany, Japan, and South America collaborate on the biennial conference.
About half the technical program related to steelmaking, reflecting the reality that the steel industry consumes more than half of all refractories produced. The event incorporated keynote and plenary speakers, a poster session, exhibit hall, gala banquet, and a packed technical program.
The conference took place at the historic Fairmount Empress Hotel in Victoria. It included refractories short courses by FIRE as well as an opening reception at the Royal BC Museum featuring jazz music and a local indigenous three-generation ceremonial dance group.