A journey through the 2021 LP Gas Growth Summit

Despite the constant unknowns of the past 18 months, it was almost as if nothing had changed.

I close my eyes, and suddenly I’m in the executive boardroom of Reunion Resort with my LP Gas colleagues. We’re moving boxes, filling folders and stuffing welcome bags in anticipation of the annual LP Gas Growth Summit – one year after all events had come to a screeching halt.

I’m sitting in the lobby of the luxurious resort, located outside Orlando, Florida, and I watch as propane marketers and propane industry partners arrive from across the country. I see familiar faces and those whom we have the pleasure of meeting for the first time.

I watch and listen during boardroom presentations as partners, one by one, share important information about their companies and their offerings with the propane industry. This year, many niches are covered, including software and technology, propane equipment such as tanks, and autogas.

I’m being summoned during a boardroom break to conduct trivia. Here’s one question: Which state sold the most propane gallons in 2019, the latest year for available data? Answer: Michigan with 587 million gallons.

I’m feeling the warm breeze of a late Florida summer atop the Grande Tower, where LP Gas is hosting a welcome reception. It’s a great chance to mingle with attendees – and hear one of LP Gas Publisher Brian Kanaba’s memorable, ice-breaking travel stories.

The morning comes fast, and Steve Whaley of the Propane Education & Research Council is talking autogas with a passion.

The one-on-one meetings begin, and the LP Gas staff is overseeing the demanding schedule and helping to facilitate meeting logistics. I’m knocking on the door of a partner’s suite and peering into one of the many private, one-on-one meetings between marketers and partners.

“Two minutes,” I say, holding up two fingers.

“Two minutes? Thanks, Brian,” responds Chad Pendill of Legacy Energy Consulting, as he looks to wrap up the 20-minute session and begin another, one of about 20 total meetings.

We golf, enjoy a barbecue and a few games of cornhole poolside. The meetings – and a propane marketer panel discussion – will continue bright and early the next morning.

This is the revival of the LP Gas Growth Summit, where our goal is to build propane partnerships, and we’re thankful for its return.