THE International Liquid Terminal Association (ILTA) will hold its 36th Annual Conference and Trade Show May 23-25 at the Hilton Americas-Houston and George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.
This is the premier gathering of terminal industry professionals, attracting more than 3,700 terminal company executives, managers, operations personnel, environmental specialists, and suppliers from around the world.
More than 320 companies from around the world will exhibit at the trade show this year.
The 2016 conference will feature 40 in-depth presentations by experts who will provide strategies for promoting worker safety, improving operational efficiency, and complying with regulations and industry standards.
Plenary session
ILTA’s conference will kick off with a presentation by Brad Livingston, a nationally recognized speaker who will share his personal story about workplace safety in his presentation, “Just a Second Ago: A Lesson in Vigilance,” set for Monday at 8:45 am. Livingston was a victim of two back-to-back explosions while performing hot work to repair a pinhole leak on a drip tank at a natural gas well. He suffered broken bones, third-degree burns on more than 60% of his body, and had only a 5% chance of survival. During his presentation, Livingston will review the contributing factors that led to his injuries, highlighting the dangers of complacency, bad attitudes, and shortcuts. Attendees will be inspired and motivated as he describes the ability to overcome serious physical trauma and the importance of worksite safety.
Featured speaker
Mexico is in the midst of a multi-year effort to open up its oil sector hoping to attract foreign investment, boost production, and increase economic growth. Meanwhile, recent policy changes in the United States have led to the lifting of the 1975 ban on US crude exports. Rusty Braziel, president and principal energy markets consultant for RBN Energy, will examine how US crude and natural gas exports will impact energy interactions with Mexico. His presentation, “New Opportunities in Mexico’s Oil Market,” will be Monday from 12:30 pm–2 pm.
Keynote luncheon
Jon Wee and Owen Morse, also known as The Passing Zone, will present “The Power of Innovation, Collaboration, and Execution” on Tuesday from 11:30 am–1:15 pm.
Known for humor as well as juggling, the highly accomplished duo will focus on three cornerstones of success by combining humor and skill to effectively demonstrate how their individual safety and success are directly related to how well they work together.
They have achieved four Guinness World Records, 18 gold medals from the International Jugglers Association, and were finalists on America’s Got Talent.
They have been featured at the White House, a Royal Command Performance for Prince Charles, Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, World Expo, Calgary Stampede, and London Business Forum, and performed with Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, Bob Newhart, George Carlin, Penn & Teller, Weird Al Yankovic, Chris Isaak, Howie Mandel, Barry Manilow, Rita Rudner, and David Spade, and appeared in two films, The Addams Family and The Aristocrats.
Morse and Wee met in 1986 at a juggling convention and instantly knew they were destined to be a team, but they wanted to graduate from college first. After doing that, rather than pursue careers in their fields (economics and psychology), they lit some torches, and started throwing things into the air.
Two weeks after their first performance together, they won the silver medal at the International Jugglers Association’s teams competition, coming back the next year to win gold. That earned an invitation to appear at the renowned Comedy and Magic Club in Los Angeles, where on their first night they were approached by a Tonight Show talent scout and booked for their first national television appearance in September 1990. Johnny Carson enjoyed them so much they were asked back less than a year later.
They appeared in The Addams Family, where they doubled for Gomez (Raul Julia) and Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd) in the climactic Mamushka dagger-passing scene.
The Passing Zone’s first London appearance was in the Royal Variety Performance at the Dominion Theatre, performing for Prince Charles and sharing the bill with Tony Bennett and Riverdance. They expanded their US national television audience by passing clubs over the heads of the Miss America Pageant contestants during the swimsuit competition. As finalists on America’s Got Talent, they were the highest-rated comedy act, and they eventually won the affection of David Hasselhoff, who previously claimed to hate all jugglers.
Corporate entertainment and keynote speaking gradually became their primary market with an act that appeals to all ages and all walks of life. Not only do they entertain, but they customize their performances by juggling a company’s product, incorporating their slogans, and inspiring groups to be better teams.
Wee and Morse have been successful by focusing on three principles that can help any group achieve results:
• Innovation. You want your company or organization to innovate, to be different, to stand out from the rest. Don’t do what everyone else does. Look for ways to be creative, unique, and move the world forward with new ideas. Success demands innovation. The Passing Zone are innovators. They juggle astronauts (audience members), ride Segways while juggling inflated bags, and juggle chainsaws while dancing in tights and tutus.
• Collaboration. Nobody accomplishes anything alone. In order to succeed, your people need to understand the importance of working with others around them. Rely on each other’s strengths. Collaboration requires trust, communication, cooperation—and practice. Wee and Morse don’t just talk about collaboration, they do it. They rely on each other at every moment, on stage, for their success, and even their safety.
• Execution. Great ideas and plans mean nothing without execution. Your people need to carry out their vision and their plans, and they need to do it with excellence. The Passing Zone need to be flawless, or things go crashing to the stage. They present outrageous, complex stunts, and they execute them live, on stage. If mistakes happen (and sometimes they do), they are handled with precision and professionalism, which is all part of execution.
Monday sessions
The first morning of the conference features:
• Forty-five minute breakout sessions at 10 am: “Recommended Practices for Preparing a Tank for Hot Work,” Peter Williams, Concord Tank Corporation; “Beyond Our Fence Lines: The Challenge of Communicating Risks Effectively,” Branden Jones, Vopak Americas; and “What to Expect from EPA’s New Enforcement Initiative for Storage Tanks,” Seth Belzley, Holland & Knight, and Justin Savage, Hogan Lovells.
• Three sessions from 10:50-11:35 am: “Preliminary Findings from the ILTA Study on Tank Bottoms and Foundations,” Tyler Ley, Oklahoma State University, and Mark Kelley, Kelley Construction (API SCAST Committee Member); “Tools and Techniques for Reducing Errors, Incidents and Mishaps,” Pat Daily, Convergent Performance; and “The Path of Least Resistance: A Roadmap for Environmental Permitting of New Projects,” Roberto Gasparini and Richard Fontenot, Spirit Environmental.
• Three sessions from 11:40-12:25: “US Coast Guard Requirements for Marine Loading: What Terminals Need to Know,” Dean Leake, Aura Engineering; “Recommendations for Storage Tank Lifecycle Management,” Joel Andreani, The Equity Engineering Group; and “Environmental Compliance: A Continuously Evolving Landscape,” John King, Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson.
• Three sessions from 2:05-2:50 pm: “Implementing an Industrial Hygiene Program: Lessons from the Field,” Duane Campbell, Vopak Americas; “Terminal Management Systems: Driving Operational Excellence,” Scott Lumbrezer, ARCADIS, and John Little, IMTT (retired); and “The Search for a Cradle-to-Grave Waste Tracking Solution,” Laurance Goodman, Royal Vopak, and Anneliese Honsinger, Westway Group.
• Three sessions from 2:55-3:40 pm: “Analyzing the Hydrostatic Test Exemption in Preparing Your Tank for Service,” Kah-Kan Chan, TCI Services; “State of US Ports: The Flow of Commerce,” Jeff Monroe, International Association of Maritime and Port Executives; and “An Approach to Proactively Engaging Emergency Responders,” Rob Leipheimer and Tom Lonyo, Marathon Petroleum Company.
• Three sessions from 4-5 pm: “Accurate Measurements: Tools for Preventing Product Losses,” Jimmy Hausman, Buckeye Terminals, Richard “Dickie” Townley, Holly Energy Partners, Kevin Canaday, JP Energy, and John-Michael Carolan, Willowglen Systems; “Developments in Terminal Valuations and the Crude Oil Market,” Gregg Manzione, Nationwide Consulting Company; and “Implications of CSB’s 2009 Caribbean Petroleum Corporation Incident Report,” Manuel Ehrlich, Chemical Safety Board, and Earl Crochet, Kinder Morgan.
Tuesday sessions
The second morning of the conference features:
• Forty-five minute breakout sessions from 9:05-9:50 am: “Considerations for Heating Storage Tanks,” Larry Wink, Wink Engineering; “Establishing Standards of Behavior to Build High-Performance Teams,” Eric Papp, Agape Leadership, LLC; and “A New Resource for Benchmarking Terminal Safety Performance,” Sandra de Bont, VOTOB.
• Three sessions from 9:55-10:40 am: “Safety Considerations for Conducting Floating Roof Seal Inspections,” Jeff Eickhoff, HMT; “Creating a Workplace Culture that Attracts and Retains Great Employees,” Steve Anderson, Integrated Leadership Systems; and “Terminal Security Regulatory Outlook,” Steve Roberts, Roberts Law Group.
• Three sessions from 10:45-11:30 am: “Case Studies in Reducing Tank Truck Overfill Incidents,” Brian Miller, Marathon Petroleum Company, and John Sherman, Tidewater Terminal Company; “The Millennials: Understanding the Expectations of the New Workforce,” Walter Nusbaum, Nusbaum Inc; and “A Hacker’s Guide to Protecting Critical Systems,” Michael Farnum, HouSecCon, and Derek Welch, MonSoteria Cyber Security Solutions.
Post-conference training
• “Air Emissions—Loading Operations,” Rob Ferry, The TGB Partnership, Wednesday, 8 am-5:30 pm and Tuesday, 2-5 pm. This half-day course focuses on air issues pertaining to loading operations. It will include a discussion on loading rack features, rule compliance regarding loading racks, and estimating emissions from tank truck loading and marine vessel loading. This training is designed for terminal operators and environmental managers.
• “Advanced Tanks—Air Emissions,” Ferry, Wednesday, 8 am-5:30 pm and Thursday, 8 am-2 pm. This course offers a detailed look into air emissions issues relating to the design, construction, and inspection of above-ground storage tanks. It features detailed graphics and clear explanations of aboveground storage tanks, floating roofs, emission points (i.e. rim seals, deck fittings) and emission controls. Attendees will learn how to estimate emissions from routine and non-routine events, including floating roof landings and tank cleanings. This course also addresses various recordkeeping and reporting requirements, and best practices for regulatory compliance. Breakfast and lunch will be provided both days.
• “Introduction to Terminals,” instructors provided by CITGO Petroleum Corporation, HMT LLC, International Technical Consultants, and Solomon Associates, Wednesday, 8 am-5:30 pm and Thursday, 8 am-2 pm. This course provides attendees with a comprehensive overview of terminal facility operations and system components. Topics include an overview of the terminal industry, the role of terminals in the supply chain, operational safety, product handling, tank design and maintenance, regulatory compliance and industry standards. The program will also cover facility equipment and describe types of above-ground storage tanks, roof designs and tank components. Taught by industry experts, this course is ideally suited for new employees and for personnel interested in being conversant in all aspects of above-ground liquid storage terminals and their operations. Experienced personnel who want a review of tank and terminal fundamentals will also benefit from attending. Breakfast and lunch will be provided both days.
Trade show symposium
This year’s trade show will feature a new education series focused on the latest in equipment and technologies. The 2016 Trade Show Symposium will be held during the trade show on Wednesday at the Presentation Theater on the exhibit floor. Speakers will examine coating applications, loading rack technologies, tank truck bottom loading practices, vapor control systems and terminal automation.
Golf tournament
The 20th annual tournament will be held at Wildcat Golf Club on Sunday, May 22, with a 1 pm shotgun start. ILTA’s scramble tournament is played on Wildcat’s two spectacular golf courses, the Lakes and Highlands, located just south of Houston.
On the Lakes course you start high. Its highest elevations –up to 100 feet—provide breathtaking views of Houston’s major sports complex—Reliant Stadium, home to the Houston Texans. As you work your way down you’ll see the water—acres of seemingly countless lakes. The Lakes’ dramatic elevation changes can be rivaled by no other course in Houston. Water comes into play on seven of the Lakes’ holes. Playing 7016 yards from the tips, the Lakes is a bit longer than the Highlands. You’ll enjoy navigating around the water, managing the Lakes rolling fairways and experiencing its fast greens.
At first sight, the Highlands Course offers a links golf experience, but you’ll soon discover the open tumbling fairways and impressive elevations are more typical of a Texas Hill Country course. Throughout your round, 6954 yards from the tips, you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the city—from Houston’s Galleria area to the Medical Center, Reliant Park to Downtown. Every hole on the Highlands course offers a challenge. Protected by well-placed bunkers, lying beyond deep ravines, each pin demands your full attention. Course management will come to mind as you discover an errant shot is held captive by native grasses, or lost to a miscalculation of distance. ♦