If you happen to be an event professional working in the offshore energy industry, you probably know the Offshore Technology Conference 2016 (OTC). The OTC was orginally held in the USA as a forum for energy professionals to meet and exchange ideas and opinions. It is aimed to provide the attendees access to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters, as well as establish valuable professional contacts. OTC is now also organized in Asia and Brazil.
“As it has since 1969, the world came to OTC to make critical decisions, share ideas and develop business partnerships to meet global energy demands,” said Joe Fowler, OTC 2016 chairman. “The commitment from OTC’s volunteers and staff ensured, regardless of the price of oil per barrel, that OTC upheld its unwavering commitment to delivering attendees unparalleled information on new technologies and global developments. Also, revenue from OTC directly benefits the member programs of its 13 nonprofit sponsoring organizations.”
This year, only 68,000 attendees from 120 countries showed up for the event in Houston, Texas on 5 May 2016. The attendance has decreased from 94,700 attendees from 130 countries last year. Some suggest it might be due to the oil slump. However, the exhibition floor was still the third largest in the event’s history, at 672,300 square feet, including outdoor exhibits.