Empowering Pumps and Empowering Valves recently hit the road and traveled on our yearly trip to Houston for the 43rd Turbomachinery and 30th International Pump Users Symposia (Pump & Turbo 2014) held at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Built on a history of success, the Symposia serves as a premier training and networking opportunity for industry professionals and is the only industry event organized by users for users.
For those that have never attended the event, the Turbomachinery Symposium began in 1971 and the Pump Symposium began in 1984. In 2011 the symposia were combined and are now held jointly every fall in Houston. For those that attend, you know that the Pump & Turbo Symposia provides a great opportunity for professional development, technology transfer, peer networking, and information exchange among industry professionals, which has become a staple event for industry professionals and leading companies.
This year’s event didn’t disappoint! For the first time in event history, registered attendance broke the 6,000 mark with 6,224. Exhibit space also continues to expand and this year exceeded 72,000 net square feet, with 343 leading companies displaying full-size equipment, cutting-edge technology and emerging industry trends. Companies exhibiting included, ConceptsNREC, Flowrox, Standard Alloys, AESSeal, Ludeca, Dickow and many others from the oil and gas, petrochemical, power, pumping and turbomachinery industries.
If the exhibitor’s products and services wasn’t enough to get you excited, a world-class technical track presented by engineers and selected by an advisory committee of industry experts emphasized the tested technology and troubleshooting that users need in today’s challenging workplace.
Attendees participated in a combination of 13 short courses, 18 lectures, 22 tutorials, 27 discussion groups, and 21 case studies led by industry experts from around the world, including one on digital marketing by Empowering Pumps. Topics covered during the Symposia included: compressors, steam and gas turbines, expanders, pumps and drivers including motors, and auxiliary equipment such as couplings, bearings, gear boxes, dry gas seals, and annular seals. That’s some world-class learning in our view.
As one of the event organizers mentioned to us, “Houston is home to more than 5,000 energy-related firms, and has a broad industrial base in the energy, aeronautics, and technology industries. It’s a great place to tap into the energy capital of the world.”
The event is organized by the Turbomachinery Laboratory, part of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and The Texas A&M University System. As an engineering research agency of Texas, TEES conducts research to provide practical answers to critical state and national needs. TEES partners with academic institutions, governmental agencies, industries, and communities to solve problems to help improve the quality of life, promote economic development, and enhance the educational systems of Texas.
If you have an idea or thought you’d like to share with us about a trade show you’re attending, please share, as we always welcome your comments.
Safe travels!
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