As you are likely aware, next April will mark the centennial anniversary of AAPG: 100 years dedicated to the science of finding oil and natural gas.
The Centennial/2017 Annual Convention and Exhibition (ACE) will serve as our collective celebration of this milestone.
The event will take place in Houston – the energy capital of the world and a city that offers unparalleled opportunity to connect with students, professionals, academics, companies and universities from across the globe.
Today, we are unquestionably confronting economic challenges and uncertainties and the light at the end of the tunnel might be difficult to see. However, it is in these difficult times that our industry has the chance to make its greatest advances, in both science and technology. That’s what occurred in the past, and I believe it will happen again.
For nearly 100 years, AAPG has been the bridge between industry and academia, the grease in the wheels between service companies and operators, and remains the preeminent organization for the advancement of petroleum geoscience at the global scale.
Call for Solidarity
As professionals, we realize this is a unique time that demands solidarity in our industry. Now is the time for companies to unite in support of AAPG and the geosciences as we never have before.
As such, members of the Sponsorship Committee have planned special recognition for those who elect to support AAPG at the Centennial ACE.
In addition to the standard promotional items provided to our sponsors, we plan on introducing new incentives to encourage greater support from industry. For example, we will be placing a special banner at the booths of presenting companies who sponsor the Centennial ACE. Also, independent companies that offer support will be invited to attend an exclusive celebration in Houston as a pre-meeting event, on the condition that $100,000 is raised from companies with a total staff numbering fewer than 100.
These are just a couple of the numerous and exciting opportunities we plan to provide our sponsors for next year’s convention.
Early estimates indicate more than 10,000 professionals will be gathering in Houston for the Centennial ACE, and hundreds of corporations and universities will be represented at the meeting. This will be the event of the year to network with colleagues, present technical work and advertise new products and services – in short, one big scientific celebration!
By sponsoring the Centennial Celebration, you are not only demonstrating your dedication to AAPG and the science of petroleum exploration, but also confirming your commitment to the future of our industry.
I strongly believe we have turned a corner in recent months, and I can see the light shining over the horizon. This light – the light of AAPG – shines brightest in the dark. Now is the start of a new dawn, and the beginning of a new era in the role of the petroleum industry in global society. My company, BHP Billiton, shares in my vision and has already committed to generous support for ACE, along with a number of other leading companies across the globe.
I hope that you, your company or university will join mine and many others’ to support the Centennial Celebration of AAPG next year in Houston. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of my committee members for questions regarding your support for the Centennial ACE.
For more information contact: Hunter Lockhart, sponsorship committee chair; Tim Rynott, sponsorship committee co-chair; Steven Shirley, sponsorship committee co-chair; Mike Taylor, AAPG exhibition sales manager; or Tracy Thompson, AAPG exhibition sales representative.