Insider tips to make your OTC trip hassle proof and maximize your experience…
Transcript of Session –
Hey. It’s Mark LaCour. Let’s learn some more about the oil and gas industry.
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Well, this past week was unbelievably hectic. If you’re in the oil and gas market, you know these three letters OTC. That’s the Offshore Technology Conference. And this year was the second highest turnout ever. Over 113,000 people shoot up here in Houston for the conference and we just had a great time.
One of the things a lot of my clients asked me about is what should they do to prep for OTC. So really it’s something that is not a subject for the short show and you really should ping me in person. But, in a nutshell, sponsoring booths is usually not the best ROI, but actually doing breakfast and lunch tracks actually have a great ROI if handled properly. But we thought we’d take this episode and show and actually do a surviving OTC episode. So we’re going to go through some quick tips and tricks to help you get the most of your OTC effort.
All right. One of the first things you should do is print out your hotel confirmation and write the phone number on it and bring it with you. This way if you’re late or if you’re not sure where you need to go, you need to give directions to the cab you have something you can hand him.
Also, make sure you download the OTC app on your mobile device. So the app is not web-based, you don’t have to worry about big data usage, it’s all catch locally, but it really allows you to find the vendors, the exhibits, the talk tracks, everything really quickly and easily. Also, don’t forget your attendee badge or printed confirmation e-mail. And it goes without saying make sure you bring photo verification or a passport so you can actually get into OTC.
Think about transportation and make arrangements. OTC will have free shuttles to and from the main hotels. But one thing that many people do not know is there are free shuttle service put on by ConocoPhillips, so if you park in their parking lot at Dairy Ashford Eldridge Parkway, they’ll run you back and forth and the public is welcome to use it.
Then, make sure you plan your schedule at OTC. So many people just show up and wander around willy-nilly and never accomplish anything. There’s a lot to see and do and unless you pre-plan, you’re probably missing really good stuff.
Make sure check out the topical breakfast and lunches, all the technical sessions and everything else in the website ahead of time as well as planning time to spend on expo floor. You will be three times more productive with daily agenda to guide you. We’ve stuck one up here that we did for one of our clients to kind of give you an idea of how we do it.
Also, make sure you make breakfast, lunch, and evening plans. This is a great time to catch up with co-workers, clients, potential clients, and there are plenty especially food trucks in outdoor dining area. And this past year, there was a new dining option at Reliant Stadium called OTC Club. They had shuttles running back and forth so nobody had to walk. And then, always the happy hours, Monday through Wednesday from 3:00 ‘till 4:00 in the outdoor OTC parkway. That’s a place to really network.
Make sure you wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be doing a lot of walking and I happen to see a lot of women carrying their heels in the bag with tennis shoes on expo floor and I think it’s a great idea.
Don’t forget, bring a batter pack style recharger for your smartphones. People were clustering around outlets and there was not enough to go around, this way you’re well-protected. I actually like the morphie juice pack power station best.
Bring a water bottle and continuously refill it. It’s really easy to get dehydrated in Houston.
Also, bring plenty of business cards. I went through over a hundred this last week, so I think it’s a good number for you to tow around with you.
And then finally, enjoy. This is a great event that’s truly global. You will get insights that you won’t see from any other expo or any other event anywhere in the world. This is the place to make good business plans and actually really drive some results for your business.
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