HOUSTON — On May 4-7, 2026, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) welcomed nearly 25,000 attendees from more than 100 countries to NRG Park for an exploration of the technologies pushing the frontiers of offshore energy developments. It featured nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies.
By the Numbers — Based on TSE’s Research
| Year | Attendance | Exhibitor Count |
| 2024 | 30,148 | 1,300 |
| 2025 | 27,154 | 1,161 |
| 2026 | Nearly 25,000 | Nearly 1,000 |
International participation remained a major strength of the conference, and it reported notably strong delegations from Brazil, Guyana, Nigeria and Argentina.
Trade Show Executive (TSE) connected with Jamie Zarda, Senior Manager, OTC, to learn about the event’s 2026 edition, and a major change that is set for next year.
Navigating the Moment
OTC 2026 centered on the theme “Steering Offshore Energy Innovation into the Future” and its programming focused on the technologies shaping the industry amid rising energy demand, accelerating digitalization and growing geopolitical uncertainty.
“Conversations across the program consistently returned to energy security, reliability and the durability of long-term offshore investment,” Zarda said. “Volatility tied to Middle East tensions was a recurring topic, particularly in discussions around liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion and deepwater investment. The current environment reinforced the value of the forum OTC provides. At a time of heightened global uncertainty, candid conversations about the future of offshore energy are more important than ever.”
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A Strategic Look
Zarda explained that this year’s strategy focused on reinforcing OTC as a neutral, global platform for collaboration across industry, government and academia.
“We also made a deliberate push to deepen international engagement,” Zarda said. “The Around the World Series highlighted perspectives from both emerging and established offshore markets, while the program elevated voices from key regions, such as the U.S., Guyana or Brazil, playing a growing role in global energy supply. The goal was to ensure attendees left OTC with both a clearer understanding of where the industry is heading and the relationships needed to navigate it.”
This year, OTC focused heavily on cross-sector dialogue. Its Executive Dialogues brought together operators, service companies, financiers and policymakers from around the world to discuss issues increasingly shaping the offshore industry, including how AI growth, data center expansion and global electrification are influencing long-term offshore demand.
Topics that fueled strong attendee engagement included AI and digitalization, carbon capture and storage, the growing role of natural gas and LNG in energy security, and the evolving outlook for Venezuelan and broader Latin American offshore activity.
Key Changes
At OTC 2026, participation continued to broaden beyond traditional operators and service companies. Digital, robotics, autonomous systems and energy technology providers had a larger presence, reflecting the industry’s focus on improving efficiency, reducing emissions and extending the productive life of offshore assets.
Also, attendee feedback informed a structural change: OTC 2027 will move to a three-day format, bringing the conference in line with comparable global industry events.
This is meant to concentrate programming, restructure exhibitor and attendee engagement, and better reflect how the modern professional allocates their time.
“OTC 2026 showcased an industry that is more connected, more innovative and increasingly central to the global energy conversation,” Zarda said. “For more than five decades, the conference has served as a place where the offshore sector evaluates where it stands, debates where it is heading and builds the partnerships that turn ideas into projects. We are grateful to our sponsoring organizations, Board of Directors, exhibitors, speakers and attendees for making OTC 2026 a defining moment in the offshore energy calendar. We look forward to convening the industry again in Houston, May 3-5, 2027.”
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