The event provided the perfect staging area for networking, generating new prospects, and forging business relations.
The two-day biennial expo and conference brought together industry experts, manufacturers, distributors and end users from the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia, providing the perfect arena to explore business opportunities on an international level.
By Steve Fennell, Valve World Americas
Present and future business opportunities
The Valve World Americas Expo and Conference was first held in 2011. It was a space devised where industry representatives could establish future business goals and effectively promote flow control solutions, innovative technology, services and access to various markets of the industry.
Fast forward to 2025 and the expo and conference is considered the go-to event for the industry in North America and beyond. Backed by the full support of key industry players, the main sponsors this year included Bonney Forge, Bray International, DHV, ISV, MRC Global, Quadax, SLB, VanAire, Velan Inc., and Warren Valves.
“We have been attending the show since day one and this year is one of the best,” said Tony Lambert Co-Owner, VP of Valve Automation Hardware for VanAire. “It was well attended, visitors were not in a hurry, and they wanted to know more about us. Even on the first day, when I first walked in, I felt it was going to be good. I was right.”
As in previous years, Valve World America’s Industrial Valve Courses were held a day prior to the event (3rd June) and once again proved popular. Both the Basic Course and Master Class were led by industry experts, providing the opportunity for visitors of all experience and skill sets to expand their knowledge and stay current with best practices.
With a strong attendance, it was the expertise of the instructors who delivered new levels of insight and education. They included Glen Beal, Engineering Manager at MRC Global; Steve Thomas, Vice President, Valve Products and Business Development, Southwest Region, Bonney Forge; and Gobind Khiani, Consultant/Valve SME.
4th June: Day one
The keynote speakers this year were presented in the new Keynote Theatre on the expo floor and resulted in strong attendance over the two days. Chairman Ayman Cheta, MMI Engineering Lead, US Gulf Coast Downstream Projects at the Shell Technology Center – Houston, delivered opening remarks welcoming attendees before addressing hands-on valve industry applications.
“My experience at this year’s event was great and it was an excellent opportunity to collaborate and learn,” noted Cheta. “There were presentations on the tariffs, trade restrictions and the impact of supply chains. Also, there were excellent keynotes on emerging technologies and emissions.”
Other popular keynote presentations included Josmar Cristello of Teadit who delivered insight into the world of sealings, while Jack McCarthy of MRC Global discussed his personal insight on tariffs, trade regulations and their impact on the global supply chain.
Following the keynotes, two panel discussions were held, providing a platform to explore current industry trends, share expert perspectives and encourage audience engagement.
Glen Beal, MRC Global, chaired and moderated the first discussion panel on ‘Standardisation’, which included an array of notable end users from ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Hetch Hetchy Water & Power and more.
The next panel discussion focused on the importance of decarbonisation. This session was chaired by Trace Scrivner, ExxonMobil, and featured another impressive lineup of end users and industry experts who discussed experiences and potential future goals towards decarbonisation efforts. Both discussions inspired networking opportunities between panellists, audience members, owners, operators, end users and manufacturers.
5th June: Day two
Day two began with an equal amount of enthusiasm. Valve World Calgary Expo and Conference 2026 Chairman Gobind Khiani, Valve Engineering Consultant, took centre stage in the Keynote Theatre and hosted an insightful presentation on supply challenges in the valve industry.
The second keynote was presented by Naomi Jabbari, S&B Engineers & Constructors, about the US Energy Outlook 2025. Jabbari covered various topics including determining the current changes, priorities and uncertainties, as well as new policy and regulatory changes in the US energy market.
“There were some positive changes to this year’s event,” said Naomi Jabbari, Heat Transfer Engineer for S&B Engineers and Constructors, Ltd. “The keynotes were held on the Expo floor, which was great, and also more easily accessible and more people attended.”
The keynotes closed with Brindesh Dhruva of Bray International. Dhruva addressed mentorship and knowledge transfer to younger generations, an ongoing issue and concern for a number of companies in the valve industry.
Day two at the event also included concurrently running conference sessions on valve design, emerging technologies for safety and reliability and valve selection. These were followed by hydrogen, testing and standards, as well as supply chain and manufacturing workshops. The day rounded out with three sessions focusing on low emission, valve maintenance and materials, and new technology and innovations.
“We were very impressed this year,” said Pam Olson, Director of Marketing for International Standard Valve (ISV), “We have had some of the best meetings and conversations here than we have had in many shows and it’s great to see the good mix of people attending. We’re also very much looking forward to attending the Calgary event in 2026.”
Networking opportunities and more at the expo and conference
The expo and conference proved its value. It provided opportunities to hold company sales meetings, establish quarterly orders and pursue new prospects in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere.
“The foot traffic was better than I anticipated given the current climate with the tariffs, and I thought there might be a bit of a slowdown,” explained Blake Jones, Sales Director Americas for Velan Inc. “The traffic picked up throughout the first day and we were satisfied with the opportunity to meet with end users and our customers. It was a good experience.” The event space also had several accessible indoor venues serving as informal networking spaces. The industry breakfast, sponsored by ASC Engineered Solutions, was welcome each morning as was the complimentary lunch co-sponsored by MRC Global, Neway Valve, and FBV Inc. Both days concluded with an open ‘Network Hour’ supported by Xanik, EFCO, DHV, and FBV.
“We are a proud sponsor of Valve World Americas,” said Jack McCarthy, MRC Global, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain, Quality & Technical Sales. “The expo and conference allow us to collaborate with many of our top customers and suppliers in one location.”
Additional attractions on the expo floor included the Speaker’s Corner, which held presentations. The golf simulator was one of the popular areas at the event and allowed attendees to further network while demonstrating their game to peers. The Valve World Americas team wishes to acknowledge the support of A-T Controls, DHV, FBV Inc., Neway Valve, ISV, LSV and SLB for providing another enticing area at the show. The team also wishes to thank Quadax for supplying the event bags and accompanying lanyards.
“The event is always a good venue to help raw material suppliers support our business,” said Corey Bachand, Executive Vice-President, Operations and Finance, for Warren Valves. “It always provides excellent networking opportunities, and we love to interact with our end users. It is a great event, and we are always happy to be a part of it.”
Looking ahead: Valve World Americas returns in 2027
As Valve World Americas Expo & Conference 2027 is already in the planning stages, the Valve World Americas team extends a sincere thank you to all who participated and supported this year’s successful event.
The Valve World Americas Expo & Conference will return to the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX, 23rd-24th June 2027. We look forward to welcoming you once again to another dynamic gathering of industry leaders, experts and innovators.
In the meantime, do not miss more exciting opportunities to connect with the global valve community at our upcoming international events:
Valve World Southeast Asia Expo & Conference, Singapore – 24th-25th September, 2025
Inaugural Valve World Calgary Expo & Conference, Calgary – 3rd-4th June 2026
Valve World Asia Expo & Conference, Shanghai – 22nd-23rd June, 2026
Valve World Expo & Conference, Düsseldorf – 1st-3rd December, 2026
To learn more about Valve World Americas Expo & Conference 2027, please visit www.valve-world-americas.com. You can also contact Karim Ayache at k.ayache@kci-world.com or Alex Duering at aduering@mdna.com for all inquiries. For conference information, contact Steven Fennell at s.fennell@kci-world.com.
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