PlantStream Team on Tour Meets Business Leaders around the World
Over the first two weeks of September, the PlantStream team toured around the world, giving presentations on what the company has to offer. At all these prestigious events, the team had the opportunity to meet incredible people, see interesting new places, and discover how the oil and gas industry works in different parts of the globe. Here we talk about some of our favorite memories.
The team launched its world tour on September 1 from Japan. A group of six people paired up to go to different destinations.
Amsterdam, September 2
One team kicked the tour off in the Netherlands and got straight to business. Even though the flight was long, the team hopped off the plane to eagerly meet their clients. At the same time, another team arrived in Paris via Vietnam. After enjoying quality time with clients, as well as plenty of delicious French cuisine, the team would depart a few days later for Gastech 2022.
Milan, Italy, September 5–8
This year was Gastech’s 50th anniversary, held in the iconic Milan, Italy. The entire Plantstream team gathered in Milan on 5th September, brimming with enthusiasm and ambition. Our purpose here was to visit as many booths as possible and to inform the crowds at the conference about Plantstream.
Co-hosted by Baker Hughes, Tellurian, Chevron, and Eni, the conference was dominated by spacious booths of the largest oil and EPC companies, such as Shell, Eni, ExxonMobil Saipem, Technip, Wood, Kent, and Marie Tecnimont. These stood alongside plenty of booths manned by smaller companies, in between 3D models of ships, immersive virtual driving in advanced automobiles, and even performers from places like India staging traditional dances.
Of course, there was some fun and games, with foosball tables and virtual reality experiences. There were also communal areas of tables and chairs, encouraging engagement between conference attendees from various countries. People from all around the world traveled to this conference to discuss how the world of energy is changing with new commitments to a low-carbon future.
We loved that the exhibition floor of Gastech 2022 was vibrant and truly global, and that the participants were very friendly and easy to talk to.
We offered demonstrations at the venue to companies that showed a keen interest in our software. Participating in the conference was also valuable because we could listen and learn about cutting-edge projects around carbon capture and hydrogen, which could potentially influence our future plant design. These insights will also help shape Plantstream’s future functionalities.
It was a great honor that Mr. Narue, our representative, had the opportunity to make a speech and present our solution at the EPC and Gas Processing Theater. With the majority of the Q&A directed at our team, it was gratifying to know that our software caused a stir. After the conference, one team traveled around Italy visiting clients, until their final return to Japan.
United States, September 6
While in Milan, some of our crew left for the United States to San Antonio to attend the 54th annual ECC conference.
The ECC conference is an opportunity for those in engineering, construction, and capital projects industries to network and share innovative ideas. Dressed formally in business suits, it seemed that most attendees were middle to upper management and higher. All the participants were so interactive and eager to join discussions. It seemed that there were not many representatives from Japan, Asia, and Europe, so we felt proud to have a presence there.
Overall, we felt that the event was more focused on the US. However, ｗe think ECC was an excellent event to establish relationships with North American customers and to facilitate the introduction of PlantStream.
The team then continued to Houston for client visits before finally returning to Japan.
Kuala Lumpur, September 13–15
Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful destination in Southeast Asia. It’s filled with amazing street food and cultural sites, from 400-million-year-old caves to gigantic skyscrapers like the famous Petronas Towers.
The Oil & Gas Association merged with MOGSEC for its 6th edition at Kuala Lumpur Convention Center. Leaders, such as the President and Group CEO of Petronas, Datuk Tengku Muhammad Taufik, gathered at this sleek and highly modern conference space. There were large digital presentations, highlighted box displays of technology, and advanced vehicles. At this event, even though there were many people wearing masks, it was clear that many industry leaders in the oil and gas field had put the pandemic behind them and were excited to get back to business.
The exhibition floor was even more vibrant than Gastech. We could see and touch all kinds of hardware for plant owners and operators. It wasn’t just pipes or valves, but the latest gadgets for production, safety, or exploration. This event almost felt like a sophisticated “bazaar”.
Along with the 20,000 trade visitors, there were 90 speakers from Malaysia and across the region, as well as 1,000 delegates from other countries at this three-day conference. There were also eight international pavilions, where presenters received governmental support to showcase their country’s unique cultural relationship with technology.
What we found very interesting was that businesses involved in every part of the oil and gas supply chain were present. There were the big oil producers, like BP, but there were also real estate companies that sell the land on which a power plant would be constructed. It was such a unique opportunity to have all the roleplayers in the same room.
Back to Japan, end of September
After so much travel and networking, each team returned to Japan from their destinations after completing their assignments. While we were fatigued from the long trip, we also felt a sense of accomplishment for having had such a successful tour.
Nowadays, we can connect with each other online. That’s an extraordinary thing because we can communicate no matter where we are in the world. However, on this business trip, it was wonderful to meet our clients face to face and converse with them under the same clear sky.
We felt the joy of physically connecting with everyone in this way. This trip was a great opportunity for us to create long-lasting relationships across the globe. We learned so much through the exchange of ideas with people from all over the world. The Plantstream team is always open to new concepts, wherever they may come from, to catapult our future development.
