Tehran plays host to the seventh Iran Petrochemical Forum (IPF 2005) on 7-8 May 2005. The event is expected to draw a large number of local and foreign participants. Organized by the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) in collaboration with IICIC, IPF 2005 is officially inaugurated by the Iranian petroleum minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh. A number of other senior Iranian government officials will also address the gathering including Iran's Vice-President who also heads the nation's Management & Planning Organization, and Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh deputy petroleum minister and NPC president. Several leading international companies, institutes and banks will address the Forum, including SABIC, Basell, CMAI, Axens, Linde, Lurgi, Calyon Bank, Toyo Engineering Co., Uhde, Deutsche Bank, JBIC, PCI Xylenes & Polyesters Ltd., SRI Consulting, ICIS-LOR and MMSA. The proceedings consist of seven sessions. Topics on the Forum's agenda cover some of the major issues that the petrochemical industry is encountering. They include the "Dynamics of Petrochemical Industry", "Market outlook for petrochemicals", Opportunities & Challenges", "New Developments & Alternative Technologies", "Capital mobilization & Financing for Petrochemical Industry", and "Prospects for Future Growth". On the sidelines of the Forum, an exhibition is held in the same venue where companies active in oil, gas and petrochemical can exhibit their services and products. The two-day event is followed by a one-day trip to Pars Special Economic/ Energy Zone in Assaluyeh and Petrochemical Special Economic Zone in Bandar Imam which are home to a diverse portfolio of petrochemical projects that NPC is developing there. Sponsored by Basell, Shell, Total, Axens, Uhde, Deutsche Bank Group, Tecnicas Reunidas, Sazeh Consultants, Lurgi, Linde, Tecnimont, Calyon Corporate & Investment Bank, Nargan, Daelim, Toyo Engineering Corportaion and SembCorp Simon-Carves, IPF 2005 has drawn over 1,300 registered participants from some 50 countries. Its media sponsors include Platts, Asian Chemical News (ACN), European Chemical News (ECN), MEES, CMR, Chemical Week, IranOilGas.com and Upstream.