Bismarck, ND - The North Dakota Petroleum Council announced today they are adding virtual features to the 28th Annual Williston Basin Petroleum Conference set to be held September 1-3, 2020 in Bismarck, N.D.
This year's conference will include the traditional live and in-person presentations and trade show, but will also introduce new, virtual options that will allow exhibitors and speakers to reach a wider audience through livestreams, enhanced online exhibitor profiles, and more. These new features will allow virtual attendees to watch presentations from the home or office and interact with exhibitors online. The conference will also feature COVID-conscious precautions to ensure the safety of all attendees. Some of the new features include:
Livestream Presentations
Speakers and panels will be linvestreamed and available for all registered attendees to view live and after the conference.
Matchmaking and Lead Generation
Attendees can enter information and be matched with both virtual and in-person participants via a new conference app and Online Event Center, with availability starting in August.
Virtual Connection Suites
Exhibitors will have the ability to build an online profile where both virtual and in-person attendees can view details about products and services and arrange meetings to discuss potential business opportunities.
COVID-Conscious Precautions
WBPC is partnering with Sanford Health Bismarck and coordinating with the Bismarck Event Center to host a COVID-Conscious conference. Attendees will have their temps taken when the enter the building. The Event Center will provide hand sanitizer throughout the conference area and high-touch areas will be frequently sanitized. The exhibit hall and registration areas will have additional spacing, including floor markers, to facilitate social distancing. The arenas and meeting rooms will have additional spacing between chairs and tables.
"The industry has faced several challenges these past few months, but we've shown time and time again that we are resilient and always ready to innovate to overcome hardships," said Ron Ness, President of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. "This conference will be dedicated to exploring the ways we can kick-start the Bakken, while allowing for more people to attend from their home or office. We're excited to bring new virtual options to the conference to allow more people to take advantage of the opportunity to hear from our speakers, learn more about the products and services our exhibitors offer and even virtually explore the University of North Dakota's world-class core library."
Ness said that despite some uncertainty surrounding the COVID pandemic, planning continued and interest remains high. The conference agenda will feature more than 80 speakers, including top Bakken CEOs and executives, as will as government officials. New to this year's conference is a Pre-Conference Executive Speaker Series available for registrants that will include exclusive and interactive speaking events in the weeks leading up to the conference.