I attend the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) last week in Houston
. After walking more than 11 miles and visiting almost every booth (thank goodness for the best conference app I have used), here are the coolest things I saw and the best swag I received:
Coolest Products
- AbTech makes Smart Sponge that adsorbs oil rather than absorbing it. The result is that oil doesn’t drip from the sponge when squeezed. They sell it for socks and in square blocks to put in subfloor drains. I found it ironic that AbTech is located in arid Scottsdale, AZ
- Mont demonstrated a neat Bristle Blaster that removed corrosion from pipes without using grit. Pretty cool.
- Noke makes bluetooth-enabled locks that you can open with an app on your phone.
- Gaston Mille sells anti-slip and steel-toed slip on shoe covers. This would be
more convenient for visitor shoes, and easier to carry yourself if visiting a plant. They are new to the US.
Coolest Swag
Most booths had the usual pens, coozies, mints, and beer (well, isn’t beer is always a a cool swag?). Among the thousands of booths, I found a couple of cool swag items:
- Draeger do rag. Who doesn’t want to look like a cool “gansta” with a do rag emblazoned with the Draeger logo?
- Moscow Mule copper cup. Although I’m not a fan of the drink (too sweet), the cup is still cool. From Copper State Rubber.
- A keychain with a flashlight AND three small tools to fix your eyeglasses. Provided by TTS Group ASA
Best Slogan
As a bonus for those who have read down this far, the best slogan was from a company that makes hydraulic and pneumatic wrenches: “tools for studs with big nuts”
Did I get any business or prospects from OTC? Probably not, but it was quite an experience and worth attending once.