B (3:17)

Great, but what do I look for?

A (3:20)

Well, you've told me you've seen the BP Horizon movie. You might want to visit Halliburton to learn what cementing is really all about, or Cameron to see a real live blowout preventer called a bop. Or the Transocean booth to learn more about drilling rigs. Another way is to pick a Houston company name that you've seen in the Chronicle or heard on TV or the radio, like Schlumberger, Baker Hughes or GE Oil and Gas. Go visit their booths to see their equipment, meet their people and learn what they really do.

B (3:52)

Interesting. I did see the movie. I liked it a lot actually. I might take your advice on that.

A (3:59)

You can learn a lot by looking for what the OTC calls the Spotlight Award winners. They're listed on the OTC website and this award recognizes the best technology inventions of the past year. Engineering graduates can see how their classroom studies get translated into real iron and the latest technologies. Even though the OTC is primarily an oil and gas conference, you'll find innovations by mechanical, electrical, chemical engineers and especially IT experts, not just petroleum engineers or geologists. There are some things to see and learn. No matter what your interest is with your media background, it's a little different. As you visit any of the booths, note how they communicate their winning ideas both visually and graphically. How does this thing work and what is its benefit? I find a good test is how big the audience is in front of any of the booths. If you follow the crowd, you can't miss. The need for clear and interesting communications of these very technical messages is a booming industry in Houston.

B (5:05)

Marty for our listeners, what else is available at the otc?

A (5:09)

If you go to their website, there's a daily University R and D showcase. What I often look for is some of the technical presentations. There's over 350 technical papers presented this year, often in panels on the second floor of the NRG Center. All these papers are peer reviewed and professionally delivered and sponsored by technical societies like the spe, the Society Chemical Engineers, and many, many others. In addition to the booths, awards and tech papers, there's also a series of breakfast and luncheons. They cover quite a variety of topics, many you might not think would be at an oil and gas event. You can learn about process safety management which had its source in the chemical industry and the new offshore wind farms. In our case, EKT Interactive has established a pretty solid reputation in podcasts that deal with oil filled digitization technologies like AI, machine learning, edge and cloud computing. So I will be there Monday to listen to two offshore digitization case studies

B (6:20)

all right Marty, that sounds great. One thing I noticed right off the bat coming off the Metro train was the size of this place. Any clues on logistics?

A (6:33)

First, wear really strong shoes or your cowboy boots because no matter how well I lay out a plan, I always end up doubling and tripling back. Second, as a reminder, the OTC is at the NRG complex and runs from Monday, April 30 through Thursday. As a student with a university ID, your cost to attend is only $25 per day or try for one of the free complimentary passes. Third, don't drive to the OTC no matter what they tell you. No matter what time you go, even if you're there at 7 in the morning, you can end up parked in the boondocks. The best way to go to the OTC is to park anywhere near the line and take the Metro train.

B (7:17)

Awesome. I've used the train when I lived on the east side and it works great. Marty, Any more clues? Say on something like scheduling it's a four day program.

A (7:28)

Over the years I've learned from some of my buddies there are good days and not so good days. If you're new to the otc, Monday is a good one because everyone's fresh, the vendors have their best people at the booth and everyone seems pumped. If you're going to see the Spotlight award booths, you'll get the sharpest individuals to give you any needed explanations on Monday. Tuesday is really crowded because a lot of folks come in from Louisiana after they hit their offices. They fly over on Monday evening and show up on Tuesday. Tuesday is usually a mob scene. Wednesday is also a good day, but some of the booth presenters seem to run out of gas like I did when I had a booth at a trade show. And Thursday Thursday is interesting. Part of the event is set aside for what the OTC calls its Energy Education Institute. The Institute conducts two events, one for high school students and another for all grade level teachers. The student workshop is hands on and not only a lot of fun for the students, but incredibly educational. Students learn how to interpret data, a fundamental skill for both engineers and graphics folks. The Institute day also welcomes science teachers. Attendees receive hands on training and presentations by qualified facilitators as they tour the OTC hall. The teachers then receive a variety of free instructional materials to take back to their classrooms.

B (8:58)

Thanks Marty, that actually sounds like something that I would be interested in with my background. So that was a very good summary and I really do hope to make it to the OTC this year.

A (9:08)

If you go on Monday, I look forward to seeing you there. If you're Interested, go to www.otc.org and start planning your trip. Before you head to the event, pick out the vendor booths and papers you might want to see or hear. The breakfast and luncheons are extra money, but again, you'll hear firsthand what's going on from industry veterans. This is the 50th anniversary of the OTC and with crude prices recovered to the $70 level, you could see offshore and deep water activity come alive over the next couple of years. If you're new to oil and gas, be sure to check out our free Mobile Ready Oil 101 series on how the industry works at www.ektinteractive.com. thank you for listening and Michael, thanks so much for your help.