Keep on moving

Reported by Marlous Schoemaker
The second and final day of our Valve World event is almost over. The gentlemen from Freeman, the booth construction company, are probably eating steak and pasta at this very moment in preparation for the Herculean efforts to come. For all the valves, actuators and other accessories have to be quickly packed up and shipped away. Where exactly I’m not sure: perhaps they will take centre stage at another global event or – who knows – be put into service in a plant somewhere, controlling the flow of slurry, oil, water or whatever medium is being conveyed from A to B.

We humans will follow their example. I mean of course going on a journey. For me that means travelling back to the Netherlands. And it also means I will not be returning to this particular location – the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. In 2013 the Americas Expo will be hosted in the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston. The reason for this move is very positive: the fair has grown so much. Who would not want to see more valves, people and booths? And yet for me the change is also tinged with sadness. The Woodlands is comfortably familiar. I have been here several times; it was in this very hotel that I sat out the worst of hurricane Ike in 2009 and I feel at home as soon as I stride through the doors and catch a whiff of the lobby fragrance. But as one set of (hall) doors closes another opens and that’s good, too. And I guess that in the downtown area they wear boots as well, don’t they?

P.S. In my first blog I mentioned that I had a bit of a thing for cowboy boots. Well, in Houston that has turned into quite an obsession. For three days now I have been immortalizing both boots and their wearers. If all goes to plan, we’ll soon be running a little competition to see if you can correctly pair up footwear and owners. So keep an eye on the Valve World website….

Take care and be safe, y’all!

Check out our Valve World Americas 2011 photo gallery.