The 2023 Valve World Americas Expo & Conference took place on June 7th and 8th at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. With very strong attendance at both the expo and conference, Valve World Americas is pleased to announce that the event was a great success! Featured speakers and exciting events on the expo floor made this event a truly dynamic place to network, forge connections, and expand opportunities.
Long-awaited and much anticipated, the 2023 Valve World Americas Expo & Conference once again served as a diverse meeting ground for the international flow control industry. After all, the event is North America’s only conference devoted specifically to valves and industrial valve systems.
The first Valve World Americas Expo & Conference was held in 2011 in the Woodlands, Texas and the event has since become one of the most important flow control events in the United States. Sponsored by Bonney Forge, Bray, SLB, Crane, MRC Global, Quadax, and Velan, the 7th edition of this event brought together an audience of over 4,000 flow control subject matter experts, distributors, manufacturers, and end users. By offering a unique platform on which individuals could connect with one another, share knowledge and expertise, and learn about new and emerging products, all attendees were able to gain a newfound knowledge of the intricate workings of the valve industry.
While the bulk of the event took place on the 7th and 8th of June, individuals of any skill level had the chance to get warmed up and excited for the event’s proceedings by attending one of three valve-focused courses offered on June 6th.
Attendees had the choice of partaking in the Industrial Valves course, the Industrial Valves Master Class, or the Fugitive Emissions Course, based on their interests and experience levels. Each course featured several renowned valve subject matter experts as instructors and was well attended. Upon completion of the course, students were invited to a welcome reception, where a speaker meeting was held for the delegates presenting at the conference. This gave speakers and students alike the chance to reconnect and meet new faces, before engaging in further learning opportunities the following day.
Engaging Programming
Day One
The conference featured well-attended keynotes, panels, and workshop sessions. To kick off the event, Chairman Trace Scrivner, ExxonMobil, gave a fantastic keynote that welcomed the audience and provided a new insightful recipe for valve standards development. Bronson Pate, MagDrive Technologies, followed as the second keynote speaker giving an insightful update on the EPA. Day one keynotes were rounded off with Jack McCarthy’s, MRC Global, presentation on optimizing the supply chain.
As the keynotes concluded, the first of three-panel discussions was introduced; the IOGP Update, chaired by Tony Smart, Neway. The panelists included a wide range of end-users from notable companies such as ExxonMobil, BP, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Shell, and more.
The next panel focused on the importance of valve design and specifications. This session was chaired by Charlie Metrailer and Glen Beal, MRC Global, and featured another impressive lineup of panelists. The day’s final panel focused on supply chain, procurement, and AML optimization, and was chaired by Luke Chou, Valvehax. All the panel discussions inspired thought-provoking discussions, had a question-and-answer period where the audience could get involved, and facilitated a lot of networking opportunities between panelists, audience members, owners, operators, end users, and manufacturers.
Day Two
Vice Chairman Dan DeVine, Coreteva Agriscience/Midland Engineering, opened Day Two of the conference and spoke about creating the next generation of engineers. The second keynote was given by Craig Brown, Bray International, on entrepreneurs in the valve industry, and the keynotes were closed by Carlos Girao, Teadit, discussing modernizing research and development.
Following the keynotes, Day Two had several concurrently running workshop sessions. The morning sessions included workshops on valve safety, control valves, and industry trends. These were followed by fugitive emission monitoring and sealing, valve maintenance and repair, and hydrogen valve workshops. The day was rounded off with three emerging technology sessions, each with its own focus: valves and packing, digital transformation, and low emissions.
Both days of the conference were filled with extremely informative and relevant content and many networking and discussion opportunities. Several attendees and speakers shared their excitement about the success of the event.
Networking
In addition to the hundreds of exhibitors highlighting the newest technologies in the industry, the Valve World Americas expo floor featured a NASCAR Simulator, the Net Zero Forum, as well as a Career Fair for attendees of the event.
The Net Zero Forum, headed by Naomi Jabbari, S&B Engineers, and Constructors, included panels and presentations that were all focused on several net zero initiatives. As the world faces rapid global warming and increased greenhouse gases (GHG) due to the combustion of fossil fuels, it is important to learn how to adapt to major changes due to decarbonization requirements. Topics on Energy Efficiency, Behavioral changes, Electrification, Renewables, Hydrogen and Hydrogen-based fuels, Bioenergy, Carbon Capture Utilization & Sequestration, were therefore covered.
The Valve World Career Fair, located right in the heart of the Expo floor, invited professionals to explore the variety of career opportunities this unique industry offers, while the VIP Lounge area, gave individuals the opportunity to reflect on their experiences and deepen their connections to those they met on the floor.
The diversity and thought involved in each feature of Valve World Americas Expo ensured that each of the thousands of attendees who partook in the event was left with an unforgettable experience.
Time for Golf
Following the event, on June 9th, the Valve World Americas Golf Tournament sponsored by A-T Controls, Altek, FBV, and Newmans, was held at the Golf Club of Houston where industry professionals could connect and unwind. Here, event attendees, exhibitors, and event organizers were able to network, relax, and partake in some playful, competitive fun.
As the valve industry professionals and event sponsors parted ways following the tournament, it was the ideal opportunity for members to look back on the successful 2023 Expo & Conference. Spirits were high and excitement remained in the air until the very end, with new and old colleagues alike promising to meet again at the next event.
Looking Forward
Alongside the professional courses, speaker’s series, networking opportunities, and showcases of new products and solutions on the Expo floor, this year’s program also featured several opportunities for suppliers and distributors to host company meetings, liaise, and meet with each other directly. The event space even featured several accessible indoor and outdoor venues for attendees to unwind, strategize, and advance their businesses. With plans for the next event already underway, The Valve World Americas team would like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s event and welcome them to the upcoming event in 2025.
The next Valve World Americas Expo & Conference will return to the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX, on June 4 -5th, 2025. We hope to see you there!
For more information about the upcoming Valve World Americas Expo & Conference, or to look at this year’s photos and presentations, please visit: www.valveworldexpoamericas.com or contact Sarah Bradley at s.bradley@kci-world.com or Angelica Pajkovic at a.pajkovic@kci-world.com.
