Read all about it! Valve World Conference Americas...

 I'm sure it can't have escaped your notice, but the recent Valve World Conference in Houston went down very successfully. In fact, many attendees said that the presentations were quite exceptional.

We are therefore pleased to report that  many of these presentations are now available through the Valve World Webshop.

For example, you can read what Petrobras' João Henrique Rittershaussen had to say about  Petrobras’ Business Plan 2014: Strategy and Demand for Valves, and catch up on how Marie Murphy (NPPD) believes  Nuclear Industry Operating Experiences can be transformed into Improvements in Valve Performance.

And that's just the start: other quality papers come from Marc Simoëns (Dow Benelux) and Rajan Hingoraney (Aramco Services Company).

And then there are workshop presentations too, including Predicting valve performance during sizing & selection phase (by Bill Ross (Chevron) & Henk Hinssen (iHandl Engineering)), Counterfeit valves - a threat to the valve industry  (Steve Butler (Shell) & Ginger Restovic (IDS-Tag Tech)) and Supply chain management (moderated by Jerry D'Avanzo (DuPont Engineering) & Ralph Chaney (MRC)).

In short, if you are into valves, then this bundle of presentations is surely a "must-read".

For more details, please check out the Valve World webshop.

The Real Renaissance

By David Sear

Funny things, words. I was reminded of that just last week, when touring the Loire valley with my partner.

Now, I’ve always seen the Loire as a great holiday destination: gentle cycle rides through the forests, visits to mediaeval villages, a glass of wine in a country café… all great fun indeed

It was my partner who pointed out that the Loire is much, much more than just a tourist hot-spot. In fact, she said, the Loire river valley has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List on account of its exceptional cultural landscapes.

Many of the chateaux, she continued, are shining examples of the Renaissance that spanned Europe during the 14^th to 17^th centuries.

And she’s right of course, as many of these castles are simply stunning.

But the word Renaissance (which roughly translates as “new birth”) is used in other contexts, too.

And that message was struck home the day after we visited the chateau at Azay-le-Rideau (see photo).

On an leisurely bike ride, in the middle of a forest alongside the Loire, we happened upon a 20^th construction of equally impressive appearance. One that is also undergoing a certain Renaissance.

But if you want to know more, please check out my recent article on the Valve World website.

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.

My name is .....

Reported by Marlous Schoemaker

Al Monsouri, Garcia, Jackson, Kumar, Rossi, Wu and so on. It might only have been 07:10 in the morning, but even so the first visitors were queuing to pick up their badges from the assembled Valve World staff. Now, three hours later, people are still joining the row. Everyone wants to see the latest valves, meet old friends and glean fresh technical insights. And that’s exactly what seems to be happening. Throughout the exhibition hall and in the conference rooms, people are getting together. Everywhere you turn you see warm hugs and heart-felt handshakes, quickly followed by smiling faces and interested nods when the conversations get going. And between times, visitors are carefully appraising all the wares. In short, the atmosphere is great and the show only started a few hours ago. The rest of the world can surely learn a lot from our mini society called Valve World…

Check out our Valve World Americas 2011 photo gallery.

Booths and Boots

Monday, 2 p.m.
Reported by Marlous Schoemaker

The booths in the hall are literally taking shape. Curtains have been hung, power connected, carpets laid and steel edifices put up. Outside things are looking busier too: SUVs packed with valves, posters and all the other bits and pieces that can turn a humble booth into a temporary home are rumbling into the parking lot. Each one bigger and shinier than the last. Wonderful! And my heart jumps for joy when I espy cowboy boots emerging from one of these vehicles. Oh yes, I may be a Dutch lass, but I share a passion for this footwear with those Texan cowboys! I could talk with them for hours about the professional finish, the ideal fit, the different designs, the beautiful materials and just how durable they really are. But of course it’s the valves that will take centre-stage this week. The latest designs, the materials of construction, the trims, the finishes, the coatings… all that and more can be seen on the 90-odd booths starting Tuesday. But I’ll also be keeping a quiet eye open for more boots, of course.

All set to go!

At the time of writing, all the preparations for the Valve World Conference and Expo Americas 2011 are drawing to a satisfactory close. In the expo hall the stands are getting a final dusting down, the conference venue has been appropriately kitted out and quite a number of the delegates and exhibition staff have started to arrive. In fact, as the photo shows, the Valve World staff look relaxed and confident that everything will be just right for the grand opening tomorrow, Tuesday, 21st June.

The show will be the inaugural Expo & Conference in the Americas and has received support from all sides of the industry. Leading names will be at the expo, whilst top speakers will grace the lecture halls. There is still time to visit: just come down to the Woodlands Waterways Marriott Hotel & Convention Center near Houston and you can arrange both an expo visit as well as book a conference delegate ticket on-site.

Valve World Expo and Conference Americas 2011

Valve World Expo and Conference Americas 2011 will be held in June 21-22, 2011 in the Woodlands Waterways Marriott Hotel & Convention Center near Houston, Texas. This conference with an exhibition component will be a collaboration between Messe Düsseldorf and KCI Publishing. This event will develop into a the leading event for valves and valve accessories in the North and South American continents.
Valve World Americas launches on June 21st! Stick around for live feed, reports and much more!!!