DISTRIBUTECH

DISTRIBUTECH stands out among all the utility-focused events, and I'll share why I think so in this brief piece.

Held in different US cities - this time in Orlando, Florida - DISTRIBUTECH brings together nearly all the companies involved or looking to get involved in the utility sector, often talked about a lot. This event is mainly for the North American audience and focuses mostly on energy, but you'll also see stuff related to water and gas.

The Venue

Just like everything else in the United States, the exhibition space is MASSIVE, truly massive. The entrance itself hinted at a big event happening inside, so it was hard to miss even if you're not that familiar with Orlando.

In Orlando, Florida, there's no shortage of space, and it was the same with the venue - there were plenty of spots for networking, chats, or casual meetings.

One could join any of the co-organized events, conferences or speaking sessions located at the first and second levels of the venue.

Stands, exhibitors and more

At first glance, the event looks like all the others. Having in mind DTech is organized by the same company Clarion Events as Enlit Europe no wonder some comparisons came to our minds.

• Exhibitor booths

These like everywhere else are the same so rather big and fancy with reception and space for showing up new products...

as well as fine spots to have a chat.

There were also "regular" booths that weren't as flashy or high-tech as the bigger ones, meaning they weren't as costly, but they still offered a good showcase to all other exhibitors and D-Tech visitors. I appreciate this setup because it led to some fantastic, surprising, and productive conversations.

• Interior

Right when we walked into the event, we noticed they still use carpets and coverings all over the exhibition space, unlike in Europe, where the trend is to keep the floors bare. Yet, they still charge the same for exhibiting. It's all in the name of being eco-friendly 😃.

• Meals and snacks

When you get a visitor ticket, you usually expect the usual perks, but here's a nice surprise - a meal is included! True, you might have to spend some time jostling for it as if you're in a Roman arena, but once you get that tasty sandwich, you feel like a real gladiator. :)

The Atmosphere

I've been going to lots of events for the past 20 years, all over different towns, cities, and continents. I've met so many people, both when I was showing stuff and just visiting. From all of this, I've got to say: Distributech is easily one of the friendliest and most welcoming places for everyone who comes by. It was all pretty laid-back, and that's how our chats went too. Anyone we talked to was nice and ready to chat. I'm not sure why it's like that, but it was a fantastic time! I wish every event in Europe or Asia could be like that!

Après D-Tech - Orlando's experience

Besides work, I always try to check out new things and places wherever I am, and Orlando was no different.

Of course, a lot of people visiting will head to Disney World to see the beloved characters from the toy stories we've grown up with.

Well, not that I am not a child anymore, but decided rather to focus on some adult entertainment and because of Rafal Kupis initiative we went to see National Basketball Association (NBA) game between Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets.

The Magic team won the game, so we decided to celebrate with a great meal. We went for Latin American food this time. It was incredible, and obviously, it wasn't the healthiest option - but then again, who really worries about that in the USA? :)

On top of that, we can recommend:

• a very nice breakfast franchise First Watch serves plenty of breakfast variants, mostly full of chees and meet (good look veggies) but some healthy stuff I found there too :)
• having kind of hype now Longhorn Steakhouse where service was awesome but I ate some better stakes in my life :)

Some general thoughts and conclusions

Distributech is a great place to visit! If you're looking to engage with the North American markets, perhaps even to display your products, you have a good choice to start small with a modest booth or go big if your budget allows for $XXk in expenses. You will meet here nearly 20k professionals and approx. 700 exhibitors - worth to invest I reckon.

I had a great experience, and if everything goes well, I plan to attend that event again in the future! I want to thank my teammate Rafal Kupis for his incredible support and for making our visit even better than we anticipated!

Here you may find some highlights of the Distributech by the organizers.

I hope I see You there at Distributech in Dallas next year!