I recently took some speech classes, to prepare for a public speaking role at a conference hosted by my lovely friends over at World Cement magazine. Through a handful of one-to-one lessons I learned how to get into a speaker state, and the following nuggets of wisdom have stuck in my mind:
- When you care about the topic you’re speaking about, it will show.
- Trust that the right word will fall into place when you take your time with delivery.
- Hand gestures help us enunciate and be expressive.
- The most important thing is that your audience receives what you are saying. You are responsible for handing them a spoonful of knowledge each time you speak.
These learnings proved helpful when I was called to be on stage at the conference; they are also proving just as valuable now, as I prepare to host a new series of webinars for the World Pipelines and Oilfield Technology communities this spring and summer.
We have a brilliant run of sessions lined up throughout May and June, featuring experts from STATS Group, Dairyland Electrical Industries, Denso Inc., Proserv, and Luna. Each webinar will tackle a different challenge: including subsea pipeline modifications, offshore pipelay, cathodic protection, and sensing technology for a gas condensate producing well. Webinars have come a long way since the Zoom fatigue of the early 2020s, when we couldn’t work out why we were always on mute. They have grown to become essential tools: places we learn, network, and gather insight, all without leaving our desks (home or office). The ability to access real-time expertise, and interact with the webinar presenters, can be invaluable. Of course, we’ve all seen the memes about webinars that turn out to be glorified sales pitches. That’s not what we offer here. Our goal is to create curated conversations, giving attendees what they need in a way that’s clear, engaging, and respectful of their time and existing knowledge of the subject at hand. So, join us! Listen and learn, ask questions, challenge your assumptions, and connect with a global community of pipeliners. And if you’re thinking about hosting a webinar yourself, why not book with us? You’ll get professional reach, niche expertise, a warm, well-paced discussion, and a unique bit of communion with your dialled-in audience.
In this month’s issue of World Pipelines, we bring you articles on the future of North America’s midstream sector (there’s a lot to cover here); how natural gas midstream operators are helping to power AI’s energy revolution; the use of autonomous robotics to transform pipeline inspections; pipeline control room transformation; and lots more. We’re also running a special feature on operating pipelines in extreme environments, which includes: a guide for OT professionals on TSA pipeline security directives; the challenge of combining cybersecurity and open automation in remote and vulnerable assets; and tackling pipeline corrosion in extreme temperatures.
The medium might change (a conference, a webinar, an article) but the mission remains the same: to communicate ideas that move the industry forward. Good communication – from the control room, to the field, and back to the boardroom – is critical for safe and efficient operations.
