Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) exhibitors across the globe are responding to needs in the TPS host city in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University, host of TPS, has partnered with New Way Air Bearings to launch #TPSHelpsHouston, a fundraising campaign to provide relief to Houston area residents affected by Hurricane Harvey. Donations will be processed by ShelterBox USA, a nonprofit that supplies aid to those displaced by disaster. All funds raised through #TPSHelpsHouston will support emergency shelter efforts in Houston and nearby regions.

The campaign was initiated by New Way Air Bearings, a longtime TPS exhibitor, after the Turbo Lab announced that TPS would be rescheduled to Dec. 12-14 due to the impact of the hurricane. The event would have been held Sept. 12-14 in the George R. Brown Convention Center, where thousands of evacuees have sought shelter in the aftermath of the hurricane.

“It breaks our hearts to see displaced Houstonians in the same convention center where we would be exhibiting.” said Drew Devitt, founder of New Way Air Bearings. “We want to give back to the city that has supported us during TPS for so many years, especially in this time of dire need.”

New Way Air Bearings is challenging exhibitors to donate $500 for every 10-by-10-foot section of their exhibit space. If each exhibitor rises to the challenge, the campaign could raise upwards of a quarter million dollars.

“I am thrilled that our exhibitors have been so quick to help,” said Martha Barton, director of exhibitor services for TPS. “It’s heartening to see their concern and willingness to give. We’re excited to partner with each of them to offer our friends some relief in the midst of devastation.”

#TPSHelpsHouston was launched Tuesday, Sept. 5 and will continue through Tuesday, Dec. 12. The results of the campaign will be announced Wednesday, Dec. 13 on the TPS exhibit floor.

HOW TO GIVE

Visit tps.tamu.edu/updates to donate. Funds will support ShelterBox’s Hurricane Harvey Fund, which provides emergency shelter for displaced individuals and families. Donors are asked to forward their donation confirmation email to bconrad@turbo-lab.tamu.edu so they can be recognized on the TPS website and social media channels.  Donation amounts will not be publicized. Participating companies should include a high-resolution logo with the donation confirmation.

Though #TPSHelpsHouston originated as a challenge for exhibitors, anyone is invited to contribute.

TPS is the premiere conference for rotating equipment engineers and technicians worldwide, spanning oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical, power, aerospace, and water industries. The expert-selected technical program combined with an international exhibition spanning 216,000 gross square feet is the perfect platform for networking with colleagues and suppliers, and learning about new problem-solving methods and technologies.

TPS is organized by the Turbomachinery Laboratory, part of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and The Texas A&M University System.

New Way is a developer and manufacturer of porous media gas bearings and seals. Their Bently Bearings™ brand of externally pressurized gas bearing technology eliminates oil in high performance turbo equipment, and New-Seal™ products provide contamination tolerant sealing with the ability to segregate gases in a single seal face.  Located in Aston, PA, New Way has been manufacturing gas bearings for use in various industries worldwide since 1994. Visit www.newwayairbearings.com.