The GPA Midstream Convention is the biggest and most important annual meeting of the midstream industry. It’s where the people who are building the future of this essential industry — design, operations, maintenance, manufacturing, safety, advocacy, communications and education — gather to connect, learn, and collaborate about the future of this essential industry.

Technical expertise will always be at the forefront of GPA Midstream and GPSA. It was there in the founding of these associations a century ago and endures in our organizational DNA. Our growing work on government advocacy, communications, and consumer education reflects the reality that safe, efficient, reliable operations are no longer enough to guard the industry’s future. We must work to secure the political and cultural operating environment that enables the industry — and our communities — to flourish. That’s reflected in the Convention agenda, which includes tracks, forums, and sessions covering each of these topics.

Convention is your time to develop your industry network, learn about the latest developments, share your knowledge and expertise, and have some fun. It’s a big and multi-layered event, and a little advance planning can help maximize the value of your convention attendance.

For a comprehensive Convention overview from the GPA Midstream staff, listen to this episode of The Midstream News Podcast.

Here are some suggestions for how to make your personal Convention plan:

Register Before You Arrive

If you haven’t registered, do it soon. Pre-registration ends Sept. 18. On-site registration will cost an additional $100. Registering ahead of time streamlines badge pickup when you arrive onsite. You can also avoid the registration line by signing up in advance for one of the two Breakfast Keynote or five Lunch & Learn options scheduled for Tuesday. Learn more.

Staying in the Marriott Rivercenter or Marriott Riverwalk (across the street) is the best way to enjoy Convention. While our room blocks at these properties have sold out, you can still contact the hotels directly about the possibility of reserving rooms at the market rate. We have also secured an overflow block of rooms at Courtyard by Marriott San Antonio Riverwalk.

Use the App

Download the Midstream Go app — it’s the best resource for up-to-the-minute schedule, room maps, and exhibitor info. Use it to confirm locations, check session descriptions, and locate colleagues. Message other attendees through the app. You can even use the app to set your personal schedule and get reminders when your “can’t miss” sessions are going to start.

Pick your priorities

Convention is busy, but there is a framework. Sessions are organized into tracks or forums focused on the following topics:

  • Advocacy Track: safety and reliability, pipeline safety, environmental
  • Technical Track: process and research, facility design, operation and maintenance, treating, greenhouse gas measurement and abatement
  • Commercial Track: market analysis to help prepare for what’s coming in the energy industry
  • Communications Forum: focused on how to tell the midstream industry’s story and combat misconceptions

It’s impossible to see it all. Choose the priorities that matter most for your work and your team. Block some time to review the schedule before you travel to San Antonio and choose the most relevant forums and sessions. The speakers were selected by your industry peers.

Wednesday is Training Day

Throughout the Convention, you can get credits to help meet your professional continuing education requirements.  But the final day of Convention is especially focused on training and education, with multiple options:

  • Current Challenges in Midstream Facility Operations, addressing topics like feed contamination, amine units, dehydration, cryogenics gas processing, NGL fractionation, and condensate challenges.
  • Sour Gas and Sulphur Symposium, intended for professionals who manage natural gas that contains H2S or CO2.
  • Professional Ethics for Engineers

Get involved!

Our technical, advocacy, safety, and communications committees meet during Convention. Our committees are member-led, so members identify the issues that are important to the industry and direct our efforts to work through solutions.  You can become part of that effort. Getting connected is as simple as showing up to a committee meeting — all are welcome. Listen, ask questions, and consider how you can benefit and contribute. You don’t have to be a subject matter expert. Our committees need project managers, note-takers, organizers, and people willing to ask questions and dig for answers.

Plan to have fun!

Start Convention with a bang by participating in the Sporting Clays event at The National Shooting Complex on Sunday morning, Sept. 20. Supplemental registration is required. Shooters of all skill levels can test their aim and enjoy the great outdoors. Contact Brandie Disbrow for more information.

Plan to attend the Sunday Opening Reception and Vendor Night to enjoy free food and beverages, network with hundreds of your industry peers, and connect with 25 industry partners exhibiting their latest innovations.

Center Stage Luncheon on Monday, Sept. 21, is a signature event open to all convention registrants. Arrive early to get a good seat. You don’t want to miss the awards presentations or the keynote from bestselling author and economist Dr. Pippa Malmgren. For a preview of Malmgren’s remarks, listen to this episode of The Midstream News Podcast.

Plan to join us at the Tuesday Public Hospitality night, which is a collection of extraordinary parties. Visit them all and enter a drawing to win prizes with values up to $500.

Network on purpose

Anecdotal feedback and post-event survey results tell us that attendees find great value from the networking opportunities at Convention. A little planning can pay off. Use the app to see who’s registered and message them to set up a meeting. A brief introduction with potential customers, vendors or partners can turn into a productive industry connection.

First-timers unite (with a mentor)!

If this is your first Convention or if you’re just looking for a few more tips on navigating Convention, we have the New Attendee Orientation from 4-5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20. This session provides a quick overview of everything Convention has to offer.

Sign up for the New Attendee Enhanced Convention Experience Program (NAECE), which pairs newcomers with experienced mentors in a similar professional discipline. The mentor can answer questions, recommend sessions, and make introductions.

Attendees describe the GPA Midstream Convention as the Super Bowl of midstream.  This is your time to meet midstream peers and enjoy working together on engineering, operations, policy, communications and networking at a single location. Join us in San Antonio and experience the Power of Connection.