Exhibitor floor fills with a diverse crowd, plenty of music, and even a few heads of cattle
by Chris Posey
It was a record-breaking year for the 2013 SEG Annual Meeting and International Exposition, and the Sunday-night Icebreaker and Expo Preview kicked off the show with as much pomp and circumstance as should be expected from an event of this magnitude. On the show floor of the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, thousands mingled, networked, ate, and drank while taking an early look at what would become a second home for many meeting delegates and exhibitors over the next few days.
A tradition at the Annual Meeting, the Icebreaker, which took place this year on Sunday, 22 September, provides participants with the opportunity to tour the Annual Meeting show floor ahead of the official opening of the floor on Monday. Event-goers enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and drinks while being serenaded by traditional African drummers (and a jazz trio). Participants navigated their way through hundreds of incredible exhibitor booths – some spanning two stories, some with huge oilfield equipment on display, some splashed with lights, sounds, and huge display screens, and one that even had life-sized plastic cattle on display. In addition to being able to get a sneak peek at exhibitor booths, delegates also had the opportunity to shake hands and visit with the current SEG President at the time of the event, David Monk, and the SEG President Elect at the time, Don Steeples, in the Presidential Greeting Area.
This year's Icebreaker took place in an exhibition hall that stretched a full 509,000 square feet, and it introduced a show that made SEG history on several fronts, including:
One of the most-attended in Annual Meeting history, topping 11,000 registered delegates
Second-largest exhibition in Annual Meeting history, with more than 380 exhibitors
Largest Technical Program in Annual Meeting history, with nearly 1,000 approved presentations
Intended to allow delegates to meet exhibitors, map out a plan for the week, visit companies, and renew acquaintances in a casual setting, the Annual Meeting Icebreaker is a participant favorite, and it will continue to be next year when SEG's 84th Annual Meeting an International Exposition opens with a bang in Denver Colorado.
