The St. Louis Section and the Refractory Ceramics Division of The American Ceramic Society will sponsor the 53rd Annual Symposium on Refractories on the theme “Real World Applications of Refractory Testing” on March 29-30, 2017 and a kickoff event (TBD) will held the evening of March 28, 2017. The meeting will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Hilton St. Louis Airport Hotel. Co-program chairs are Ashley Hampton of Vesuvius and Brian Rayner of The Orton Ceramic Foundation. The Tabletop Expo format is the same as previous years, with each vendor having a 6-foot table to display products and literature. The charge is $300, which will be used to cover the cost of the Expo Hall and provide an open two hour bar during the “Meet and Greet” for the attendees prior to the dinner buffet on Wednesday evening. If you are interested in participating in the Tabletop Expo, contact Patty Smith at (573) 341-6265 or psmith@mst.edu. Please note that a meeting of the ASTM International C-8 Committee on Refractories will be held on March 28th, before this joint St. Louis Section/RCD conference. Contact Kate Chalfin at (610) 832-9717 for more information on this meeting. The pre-registration fee of $225.00 or on-site registration fee of $275.00 ($125.00 for Emeritus/Seniors and $50.00 for students) includes the cost of your bound copy of the Symposium Technical Papers, Continental Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Coffee Breaks. A block of rooms has been set aside for the evenings of March 27-31, 2017 at the Hilton (314) 426-5500. The rate is $110.00 for a single or double. To receive the $110 rate mention the Group Name: St. Louis Section of The American Ceramic Society or Group Code: SLC when making your reservation. The web address to make online reservations is: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/S/STLHIHF-SLC-20170327/index.jhtml All hotel reservations must be received on or before February 27, 2017. For further information please contact Patty Smith at tel: (573) 341-6265, Fax: (573) 341-2071 or email: psmith@mst.edu.