The Red Deer Oil and Gas Expo takes place today and tomorrow at Westerner Park, complete with exhibitors, seminars and a panel discussion.

Morgan Bell, a spokesperson for the event says it's an opportunity for people in the oilfield service sector to build business connections.

Yesterday, exhibitors were invited to a meet-and-greet at Red Deer College.

They were given a tour of the school's Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing, where small and medium-sized enterprises can build prototypes using the facility's equipment, at a relatively low cost.

Expertise is also provided through trades people, designers and engineers.

"The oil and gas sector has engaged with us on various projects. For example, winches for rigs or nozzles for filling fuel into tanks," says Naveen Anand, RDC's director of applied research and innovation.

"When people have ideas of how to develop a better nozzle or a better winch, they will bring them to us and will be able to use our human resources but also our machines downstairs to generage prototypes."

Jeff Krehmer is a senior engineer at at Control Technology, a Blackfalds supplier and manufacturer of well control equipment.

Krehmer says it's a competitive industry, with companies constantly trying to one-up each other with tech advances.

He says while Control Technology hasn't used the facility, he's glad it's there for them, should the need arise.

"This is a really great facility for companies that want to make a prototype, where they wouldn't necessarily be able to afford the equipment to manufacture it. This is very nice to come in, and for a relatively small fee, be able to have access to equipment," Krehmer says.