SPE Offshore Europe Event Postponed

SPE Offshore Europe’s live event has been postponed, the show’s organizers have announced.

The event will now take place from February 1-4, 2022, at P&J Live in Aberdeen. It will include an in-person socially distanced exhibition, new energy transition keynote conference content, show floor features, a talent investment and diversity program, and networking events, organizers revealed.

A virtual conference is scheduled to run from September 7-10 this year, according to the organizers. The live event was previously scheduled to take place on this date. The virtual conference will include an opening ceremony, plenary panel, and keynote and technical sessions. Full program details will be announced in the next few weeks, organizers noted.

“With September rapidly approaching, many health and safety uncertainties still exist around holding major indoor events of the scale of SPE Offshore Europe,” Jonathan Heastie, the portfolio director of energy and marine at Reed Exhibitions, the co-organizer of the event with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), said.

“The Offshore Europe (OE) Partnership has consulted widely across the industry including operating and service companies, SMEs, and industry organizations on options for the 2021 event. The overwhelming support is to proceed with the conference program in a virtual format in September 2021, which will facilitate timely discussion pre-COP26, and to hold the face-to-face event in February 2022,” he added.

Phil Chandler, the director of Europe and Caspian events at SPE, said, “the September conference will be strongly focused on the energy transition and supporting the industry’s role in delivering net zero”.

“With further high-level energy transition content at the face-to-face event in February 2022, SPE Offshore Europe will straddle COP26, providing a unique learning opportunity as strategies, experiences and technologies are shared,” he added.

The leader of Aberdeen City Council, Jenny Laing, said, “for almost 50 years, Aberdeen has proudly hosted Offshore Europe, a fitting home for one of the energy sector’s flagship events as a European energy capital”.

“Whilst it is disappointing that the face to face element of Offshore Europe 2021 has to be postponed as a result of Covid-19, we support the decision made by the organizers. We will work to make the virtual event a success whilst turning our focus to delivering an exceptional and safe event in February 2022 when Aberdeen will once again be proud to bring the delegates together,” Laing added.

Chris Walker, the head of communications and external affairs at the UK Oil and Gas Authority, said, “Offshore Europe was always going to be different this year and the decision to split the event in two was made with safety and public health considerations at heart”.

“While nothing in life is guaranteed, the prospect of a safe, well-managed ‘physical’ exhibition next year is something very exciting to look forward to,” he added.

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