TLARGI Oktoberfest and Technical Conference (October 13)

The Los Angeles Rubber Group (TLARGI), a sub-division of the Rubber Division, ACS, will host its annual Technical Conference, Oktoberfest, and Mini Expo on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the Brea Community Center in Brea, California.

One of TLARGI’s most popular events of the year, Oktoberfest brings together rubber industry professionals for technical learning, industry networking, and product discovery, followed by a dinner meeting and raffle program. As part of its mission to support companies, academic institutions, and industry professionals throughout Southern California, TLARGI provides educational, technical, and networking opportunities that promote professional growth and industry advancement.

This year’s event is chaired by RDAbbott’s West Coast Account Manager, Sean Djuricic.

Schedule of Events

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Technical Conference
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Cocktail Hour & Mini Expo
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Dinner Meeting
8:00 PM – 8:30 PM: Raffles

Technical Conference

Beginning at 1:00 PM, the Technical Conference will feature presentations covering new materials, equipment, technologies, and advances impacting the rubber industry.

Featured presentations include:

  • Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of Polymers – Application in Rubbers presented by Kiana Shirzad, PhD, Application Scientist, Anton Paar USA
  • Organic Peroxides 101 presented by Ned Tomlinson, Senior Research Scientist, Arkema
  • Choosing the Right Mixing Path Without Too Many Ram Bumps Along the Way presented by Brian Howard, Director of U.S. Operations, G3 Machinery
  • LSR Tooling & Process Engineering presented by Brian Geisel, Tech Center Manager, M.R. Mold & Engineering Corporation
  • Adaptability: The Competitive Advantage for Custom Molders presented by Ben Puffer, Technical Sales Director, MAPLAN
  • Engineering CAR Signaling: Using Phosphoproteomics to Understand and Improve CAR-T Cell Design presented by Ermioni Charalampopoulou, Ph.D. Candidate, Chemical Engineering, University of Southern California (USC)
Visit RDAbbott and NovationSi at the Mini Expo

The Oktoberfest Mini Expo begins during the cocktail hour at 5:00 PM and provides attendees with an opportunity to connect directly with suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers supporting the rubber industry.

RDAbbott and its manufacturing subsidiary, NovationSi, will be exhibiting side-by-side at this year’s event.

NovationSi specializes in custom silicone compounds, color dispersions, additives, and other silicone solutions engineered for niche applications. Be sure to stop by our tables to learn how RDAbbott and NovationSi help mixers and fabricators solve challenges through technical expertise, innovative materials, and custom solutions.