Thousands of oil and gas industry operators are filing through the Shreveport Convention Center for a trade show that is focused on serving the oil patch.
The Ark-La-Tex Oilfield Expo has 364 exhibitors packed into a 95,000 square-foot exhibit hall. The expo relocated from Longview this year due to growing demand.
The expo is put on by Longview-based Texas Classic Productions. Creative director Amy Double says the environment is ripe for business deals, especially at a time when operators are cutting costs.
“They can come here and the world is their oyster, essentially. They can see if they can get better prices on the products and services they need to increase efficiency and maintain profitability in the face of a downturn,” Double said.
Lynn Grayson is national accounts manager for Tubines, Inc. His Altus, Oklahoma, company makes flow meters. Grayson has had a booth at this this expo since it started in Longview in 2011. He says face-to-face encounters with new business prospects are the best way to make a sale. He was pleased to have someone request a quote soon after the expo opened.
“He was able to actually see the product here, know that that’s what he wanted, and ask for a quote. It was probably around a $45,000 quote, which is a nice quote for a show of this size for somebody to just walk by the table and say send me a quote,” Grayson said.
Double says the Ark-La-Tex Oilfield Expo is preparing to host its first trade show in Houston in December with more than 1,000 exhibitors planned. The Shreveport expo wraps up at noon and is exclusively open to people employed in the oil and gas industry.
