The MRS conference was one of the regular academic activities of the American Society for Materials Research and was the most influential conference in the field of materials science.
It covered almost all research directions in the field of materials science, and its status was probably equivalent to the "International Conference of Mathematicians", but in the field of materials science. Almost all of the material science scholars would attend the conference.
However, unlike the "International Conference of Mathematicians" which was held once every four years, the MRS conference was held twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn. Spring one was generally in Phoenix, Arizona, while the autumn one was usually in Boston, Massachusetts.
The main purpose of the conference was to show off the technology to the industry. Laboratories could connect with rich companies for funding. It also gave a chance for people to catfight with their peers.
