FootBridge Energy Leadership Series: Insights from the 2025 EPC Show with Luke Brett

At The FootBridge Company, we provide specialized staffing solutions to the professionals powering the future of U.S. energy. From LNG and gas-fired plants to nuclear and renewables, our work connects us with the people building the infrastructure that keeps America running.

In our latest FootBridge Energy Leadership Series, we sat down with Luke Brett, Head of Marketing and Event Director for the EPC Show—North America’s premier event for energy project leaders. Held in June 2025 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, the show brought together 5,000+ attendees focused on Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) across key energy sectors.

Here’s a recap of the conversation and why this event is so aligned with The FootBridge Company’s mission to support energy talent at scale.

Q: What is the EPC Show, and how did it start?

Luke Brett: The EPC Show originally launched as an event focused on LNG export projects, a natural fit given the Gulf Coast’s growth. But energy infrastructure is increasingly multifaceted, so we quickly expanded the program to cover hydrogen, ammonia, petrochemicals, midstream, sustainable aviation fuels, and power generation.

It’s called the EPC Show because it’s centered on Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, and because it brings together the energy project community, the engineers, project managers, and owner-operators building multi-billion-dollar facilities.

Q: Who benefits most from attending?

Luke Brett: Our audience includes major EPC contractors, owner-operators, OEMs, solution providers, and technology innovators. This year, we added a dedicated stream for gas-fired power projects due to surging demand from data centers, especially in Texas.

The audience is full of decision-makers actively engaged in capital projects across LNG, power, and industrial sectors, making it a perfect fit for companies like FootBridge, which supports project staffing across those sectors.

Q: Why is Houston the right location for this event?

Luke Brett: Houston is the epicenter of the U.S. energy market, and the George R. Brown Convention Center gives us the space to scale the event with more than 400 exhibitors and thousands of attendees.

Texas also leads the U.S. in data center-related power generation projects, many of which are being developed to support hyperscalers like Nvidia, which also attended. The marriage between Silicon Valley and Gulf Coast energy is shaping up to be a major trend.

Q: What challenges are energy project leaders facing right now?

Luke Brett: Key challenges we hear about repeatedly include:

• Workforce shortages and reskilling, especially for nuclear and commissioning roles
  
• Turbine supply chain constraints leading to pre-FID ordering to secure equipment
  
• Permitting bottlenecks and complex state/federal regulatory landscapes
  
• Hydrogen and ammonia uncertainty, with some tax credits pulled back
  
• Transmission and distribution (T&D) constraints impacting project timelines
  

From gas turbines to grid access, staffing, and the supply chain, these are central concerns.

Q: The next EPC show is scheduled for June 16- 17, 2026. What are your recommendations for how attendees can get the most out of it?

Luke Brett: Pre-planning is critical. We encourage attendees to use our event networking app to identify key sessions and schedule meetings. Our extended coffee breaks and evening receptions are designed to maximize connection time.

We also offer free tickets to EPC firms and owner-operators to ensure suppliers are networking with key stakeholders—leading to real deals and partnerships.

Q: Looking ahead, what types of energy projects will define the next decade?

Luke Brett: LNG will remain a growth story. But we’re especially focused on how gas-fired and nuclear projects will power AI-driven data centers. There’s also growing interest in modular nuclear (SMRs) and off-grid solutions with Silicon Valley investment behind them.

We’re also seeing rapid innovation in AI, robotics, and software platforms, all of which are influencing the speed and efficiency of capital project execution.

Conclusion:

The 2024 EPC Show highlighted what we already know at The FootBridge Company: the energy future depends on the professionals behind the projects. Whether it’s a turbine installation, nuclear licensing, or commissioning a gas plant for a data center, we place the talent that delivers.At FootBridge, we’ve supported EPCs and energy companies for over 20 years with industry-specific staffing solutions. From project managers and controls experts to commissioning and T&D specialists, our recruiters understand your business because it’s all we do. Contact us today to learn more about how we can augment your energy staffing needs.