“Here’s Why I Attended ASCEND 2015 and Why You Should Attend ASCEND 2016”

“ASCEND gives us an opportunity to put faces with names and allows us to cultivate relationships that will help our businesses”

This guest blog was written by John Shepherd, EnerVest’s Supervisor of Production.

Although ASCEND 2015 was technically my second conference, it may as well have been my first. In 2014, EnerVest was in the early implementation stages, for the Western assets. I was totally green and had no idea what to expect. Being a naturally anxious person, my first thought of ASCEND was fright. There were several unknowns. Would I know anyone? Would these strangers be open to a new face? On top of this, I agreed to be presenter. What on Earth was I thinking? 

ASCEND 2015’s itinerary was so intriguing, from sessions on allocations to the configuration of metadata and exciting guest speakers. I knew I had to be in attendance. There was a bevy of options for seminars that focused on Accounting, IT, and Land. Immediately, the atmosphere was light and inviting. By day two, the energy of the conference was electric and the rooms and hallways bustled with conversations of best practices and mini reunions. The breakout sessions were hosted by a mix of P2 professionals and everyday users. Regardless of the moderator, a P2 subject matter expert was in every meeting and helped guide the dialogue between moderator and audience when needed.

P2’s ASCEND conference is a great resource for all P2 products regardless of usage level and implementation. It’s all about camaraderie and the opportunity to hear what other users’ processes and challenges are and to grow and learn from that. Since we all work at separate companies across the U.S., it gives us an opportunity to put faces with names and allows us to cultivate relationships that will help our businesses.

About The Author
John Shepherd joined EnerVest, Ltd., in May 2008 and has served in various positions. He currently serves as the Supervisor of Production. In this capacity, he oversees the allocation setups, partner reporting, field communications, and system implementations. Prior to joining EnerVest, John was a Project Manager for a Fortune 10 Company. He has more than eight years of experience in project management, focusing on KPIs, budgeting, program implementation, and business process analysis.