I make no bones about my intentions here to promote AAPG’s fourth annual APPEX-London, an international upstream oil and gas prospect fair that is a “must attend” for active international players from the majors to startups!
This year’s APPEX-London will be held Feb. 28-March 3 at the Ibis Hotel in West London.
One might argue that there are plenty of conferences to attend – but how many of them are specifically about trading and funding international prospects and opportunity?
This meeting, to my knowledge, is the only truly international and cost-effective association-driven exposition (other than opportunity, which will always be done on the back of the complementary association shows that are generally technical and engineering forums).
Having been involved on the London organizing committee for the last few years – and also from experience as an exhibitor and active international deal agent the last 15 years – I have no doubt that the event is likely to become an essential “business forum” for the world’s key international decision makers (as NAPE is to North American deal-making).
Unstoppable
The development and evolution of APPEX has been an interesting story.
AAPG’s original Prospect and Property Expo was first held in Houston in 2001; the concept was then taken to London the following year. The event grew each year. After last September’s Houston event an agreement was announced between AAPG and AAPL whereby the two organizations will join forces with NAPE in the United States and Canada.
The APPEX brand is far from lost though, because APPEX-London is now set for an expansion that will make it AAPG’s international deal-making event.
APPEX should be added to the diary each year as an annual event for the beginning of March!
The Evidence
Last year’s APPEX-London was a turning point for the event, as the show went independent.
The feedback from some of the 350-plus attendees and the various deals that were done as a result speak for themselves. Exhibitors were seen networking and presenting international projects at tables in the extended breaks designed to promote networking time.
I know of at least one deal that was funded as a result of its introduction at APPEX 2004, because it was an Envoi deal that got done!
It’s not for me to state who else did deals, but I know that several others happened as a result. I also know one key senior vice president of new ventures who told me that it was one of the best events he’d been to for the number of key and equivalent people with whom he was able to talk directly about activities and opportunity.
This Year’s Program
This year’s showcase exhibition hall will again be complemented by three days of topical talks focusing on worldwide oil and gas “hot spots” –including Europe and the North Sea.
IHS, which is again a key sponsor for the event, will organize sessions that focus on:
- The Middle East (including a delegation from Iraq).
- North Africa
- Areas offshore centeral and South America -- Uncludeing Mexico.
There also will be discussions on global supply and new opportunity in frontier and deepwater regions.
Also planned is a new pre-meeting event, a free half-day ‘Finance Forum’ sponsored by ABN Ambro, to which both oil and gas companies and city finance sectors are invited for talks from industry and finance executives – followed by a networking reception. International E&P oil company decision makers, NOCs, project brokers and the financial and investment groups are the target market.
Exhibition space will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Companies with projects to farm out and/or finance, particularly if it involves exploration, should book now to avoid disappointment. Single, high-quality exhibition stands/booths (2 x 3 meters) are available at an “all in price” where exhibitors simply pay and turn up –posters and presentation materials are all that are required.
Delegate costs are equally low to association members, so costs are no excuse to not be there!
See you there!