7 October 2009

EXPO's later hours work for everyone

By Nicholas Sheble

At 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the ISA EXPO 2009 exhibit floor quickly transformed from mostly serious business chatter to a party atmosphere.

Michael Hilton, the national sales manager at Precision Instrument Manifolds in Kingwood, Tex., said, “This gives us a chance to network with people in a relaxed manner. Look at this. It makes sense to me.”

Yes, the business chatter continued, but with numerous, occasionally quite loud, laughter interruptions by happy show-goers simply enjoying themselves—thanks to food and refreshment provided by 10 exhibitor sponsors. As well, there were cash bars offering wine and spirits. Some vendors turned their booths in cafes offering bottled beer and hors d’oeuvre.

Alan Sussman, president of Sustech Precision out of South Africa, was in Houston on business and was not aware that ISA EXPO was on. “This is a bonus for me,” he said.

Assorted foods were on the menu, washed down by beer, sodas, and margaritas provided by the sponsors. It was the third year of a wide-open evening Industry Reception on an ISA EXPO exhibit floor.

The attendees and exhibitors clearly appreciated the hour-and-a-half event. It provided additional time for attendees to test-drive equipment at exhibits and network with their peers and various industry luminaries roving the aisles.

James Golla of Lyondell in Houston said, “The extended hours are good for me. I wouldn’t have been able to make the show without (the extended hours). I got stuck with some work that other folks usually handle, and I had to leave and come here much later than I planned. If my cell goes off, I may have to go back.

“The last few years, I’d get here at four o’clock, pay eight dollars to park, and only see a couple of exhibitors before they’d shoo us out of here,” Golla said.

That is one of the goals of the evening hours, to be open to the folks in the Houston area that cannot leave work before 5 p.m.

David McCombs, a power guy at LyondellBassell said, “I was coming after lunch and got tied up. A guy asked me to ‘walk this cable out.’ I never would have gotten here if they didn’t stay open late.”