Houston, Vancouver in fray for WPC congress

Manama  : Houston Texas Mayer, Sylvester Turner, will make the state’s final pitch for rights to hold the 2020 World Petroleum Congress before the World Petroleum Council (WPC) today in Bahrain. 

WPC delegates are all set to select the venue of the congress later in the day through a voting, for which Houston and Vancouver are in the fray. 

The conference, held every three years, draws as many as 10,000 top-level international oil executives from all over the world. This is the third time in a row Houston has competed for this international event.  The 2014 event went to Moscow and Istanbul won next year’s meeting.  The last time Houston was selected to host was 1987. Houston WPC Bid Committee accompanies him.

“For the past six years Houston has been committed to hosting the WPC,” said Mayor Turner, adding “We are energy; Houston is energy. There is nowhere else in the world that can put WPC attendees so close to the action and the experts.  We are going to close this deal in Bahrain.” 

In a first, Houston is promising to dedicate 100 per cent of its net profit from the WPC to establish a Global Legacy Programme that will benefit the next generation of energy industry young professionals.  The funds would be redistributed by the WPC to select Legacy Projects that align with WPC Legacy Committee initiatives, including educating and developing the future of the energy industry. 

Approximately 70 WPC member countries have a vote on the 2020 convention, but delegates must be present in order to cast a vote.  Accompanying the mayor in Bahrain will be US WPC National Committee Chair Galen Cobb from Halliburton, Gerardo Uria of the American Petroleum Institute, Pinar Yilmaz from Exxon/Mobile and Daniel Palomo from the Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau/WPC US Bid Committee. The mayor’s itinerary includes a luncheon co-hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce and GPIC where he will speak on bi-lateral investment opportunities today at the Intercontinental Regency Hotel.