Offshore Technology Conference 2019

Founded in 1969, the Offshore Technology Conference “is where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters.” (https://www.otcnet.org/about) Often just shortened to OTC, the main conference is held every year at the NRG Park in Houston, TX. Throughout the years, the conference has grown and there are now three other conferences under the OTC umbrella; OTC Brasil (2011), the Arctic Technology Conference (2011), and OTC Asia (2014).

The first OTC was held at the Albert Thomas Convention Center in Houston, TX in 1969. It was started by 12 engineering and scientific organizations. Both industries were starting to venture to more hostile environments and unknown operating conditions, so they wanted a place where organizations from around the world could come together to share knowledge of their industries and areas.

In 2013, OTC had more than 2,700 exhibiting companies, which totaled an exhibit area larger than 10 US football fields. In 2014, OTC reached a peak attendance of 108,300 people. Today, they rank among the largest 100 trade shows held annually in the United States and among the 10 largest meetings in terms of attendance. (https://www.otcnet.org/history-of-otc)

In 2019, OTC is celebrating their 50th anniversary. They put together cool timeline of their history here.

The theme this year was “Going the Distance.” Along with the theme, there was a new program called the “Around the World Series.” According to the OTC 2019 website, in this series “Global industry leaders will discuss new licensing and business opportunities, as well as recently introduced technologies.” These presentations were given by representatives from the following countries: Australia, Canada, France, Ghana, Guyana, Israel, Mexico, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

Also new this year, there were no paper maps of the venue. Instead, OTC encouraged exhibitors and visitors to download the OTC 2019 app onto their smartphone. The app not only included maps, but it was also the place to get important updates and information prior to arrival, plus easy access to information about the technical program, special events, and more.

Reasons to attend OTC (taken directly from their site):

International Trade: Opportunities for countries to connect and meet with international buyers.
Quality: Technical program selected by knowledgeable and experienced professionals.
Value: Ground-breaking innovations and the leading providers of products and services in one place, at one time.
Convenience: From Houston to Rio de Janeiro to Kuala Lumpur, OTC events are in energy hubs with world-class hotels, international airports, and many entertainment options.
Networking: Meet people from around the world who have ideas to share and technical knowledge to exchange.
Investment Back in the Industry: OTC’s sponsoring organizations use revenue generated from the events to provide many other important programs for its members, such as training and technical journals.
Always Something New: Encounter different languages being spoken, never-seen-before technologies, and top executives that you might not hear speak anywhere else.

OTC 202 will take place May 4-7 at the NRG Park in Houston, and Standard Industrial Manufacturing is looking forward to attending once more.