Leading figures from Scotland’s oil and gas business are arriving in the US city of Houston for the world’s top industry show.
About 330 people are on the annual trip organised by Munro’s Travel Group, of Aberdeen, and the Press and Journal. They are attending the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), which kicks off on Monday and runs until Thursday. Last year’s event attracted more than 70,000 people from 100-plus countries.
Numerous oil service companies from Scotland are in Houston for the show, and also attending are a wide variety of support firms including banks, law firms and accountants.
More than 20 first-timers to OTC are among the party staying at the delegation’s HQ hotel, the Hilton Houston Post Oak.
They include Lee Brandie, the new business development manager for Munro’s.
His appointment is part of the company’s strategy to expand its business in the energy sector. Mr Brandie said: “I am proud and delighted to be part of the delegation to OTC, an invaluable networking mission which stretches back over 38 years.
“The trip offers outstanding networking opportunities for all exhibitors and delegates at OTC.”
Other first-timers include two bosses from a leading Scottish independent financial planning practice.
Gordon Wilson, managing director of Thomson Shepherd, is being accompanied by investment director Barry O’Neill.
Mr Wilson said: “It’s very much a fact-finding trip. We hope it will help us to raise our profile among the North Sea oil and gas community, many of whom could benefit from hearing about the latest thinking, ideas and opportunities available to protect and grow wealth. We’re sure that our scientific, evidence-based approach to financial planning will strike a chord with the other delegates.”
Paddy Collins, the managing director of Ellon-based Aubin, an independent supplier of specialist chemicals to the energy industry, is attending OTC with a variety of aims, including pursuing potential leads for new subsea product DeepBuoy and to meet existing clients.
He said: “OTC has come at an ideal time for us and we hope to achieve a lot during the course of the week. It is an excellent opportunity to promote DeepBuoy for use in the Gulf of Mexico and, with so many people at the show from the North Sea and Brazil, we can spread the net further to cover other deepwater locations.
“We find it is quite time-efficient as we get to catch up with more folk in one place in the course of a week than at any other time of the year. At a time of turmoil for many Middle East countries, we get the chance to meet our customers from there in Houston which is a great benefit.”