Houston officials are excited to host the World Petroleum Congress (WPC), and were recently in Istanbul to receive the hand-off to host the triennial event in 2020.

The WPC is widely known as the "Olympics" of the petroleum industry and covers all aspects of the industry from technological advances in upstream and downstream operations to the role of natural gas and renewables, management of the industry as well as social, economic and environmental impact.

“WPC is an important event that brings together leaders in the oil and gas industry from around the world, and we are already preparing to bring them a first-class welcome in 2020,” said Houston Airports Chief External Affairs Officer Saba Abashawl. “Houston hosts some of the world’s premiere conferences including CERAWeek, the Offshore Technology Conference and SuperBowl LI and more, and since the airport is their first impression of the city, we work hard to make that first impression a great one by providing a welcoming and seamless arrival.”

The city of Houston said the event could bring an estimated economic impact of $60 million to $80 million and draw 10,000 top-level international oil executives.  Houston last hosted the event in 1987.