23rd World Petroleum Congress

Reprising a relationship we established during Super Bowl XI, IDEAS joined forces with the Host Committee of the 23rd World Petroleum Congress (WPC). The Host Committee held the event in Houston, Texas, in December of 2020 — after a critical delay.

Well into creative development for a suite of ambitious activations in the George R. Brown Convention Center, the COVID pandemic erupted. Shortly afterward, the WPC had to postpone the event.

At IDEAS, we quickly adapted to the new realities of public health, personal distancing and global travel restrictions. However, we did so without resorting to a virtual conference. 

The WPC understood the importance of face-to-face engagement, networking and personal opportunities for vital delegations and officials to meet.

We were responsible for reinventing the activation areas and special features. Next, we pivoted through an effective value-engineering program to preserve guest engagement and deliver the impact level this sophisticated audience expected. 

Our efforts had a broad scope:

• Spatial design of large sponsor exhibit booth areas
• Media production
• Interactive elements
• A novel wayfinding program to navigate the convention center floor 

Meanwhile, all these elements had to embrace the program’s key themes:

• Sustainability
• Social responsibility 
• Innovation
• New energy
• Universal access
• Collaborative solutions

The result was an on-time, on-budget, story-rich, immersive and successful show experience.

“This project was a dynamic, complex, and constantly moving target. The IDEAS team never missed a beat and seamlessly integrated with our Host Committee staff and key suppliers.” 

—Sallie Sargent, COO, World Petroleum Congress Host Committee