For over 40 years, AOG Energy – formally known as the Australasian Oil & Gas Exhibition and Conference – has brought the entire supply chain together in the oil and gas epicentre of Australia.
Returning to Perth with a renewed focus on the future, AOG Energy will showcase both local and international innovation and explore future opportunities within the industry. The last few years have given both AOG Energy and the industry as a whole time to take stock of what role can be played in the future energy economy.
AOG Energy Commercial Director Bill Hare has helped run the event since 2008 and says it’s exciting to be returning in 2023 with a dedicated platform for the global energy community to reconnect and drive new energy opportunities.
“COVID-19 was a difficult time for all within our industry. Not being able to bring people together for almost two years, there’s now an enormous pent-up demand for like-minded people to come back together and reconnect,” he says.
“There’s palpable excitement with what’s to come; our committee is really reenergised and refreshed and quite a bit has happened within the industry itself since AOG Energy came together.”
A renewed focus on renewables
Since the last international show in 2020, the energy industry has continued to evolve. Hydrogen and offshore wind are coming to the forefront of Australia’s energy industry and economy, drawing the interest of many international industry experts.
As a natural part of that transition, AOG Energy is touching on a collection of key themes designed to pinpoint and highlight the current state of oil, gas, and energy in Australia. These key themes will touch upon the energy transition including low emissions technology, decommissioning, offshore wind, decarbonisation including carbon capture and storage (CCS) and utilisation.
For the live exhibition, there will be a broader showcase of methodologies, strategies, and emerging technologies to navigate the energy transition and explore new low and zero carbon ways of providing energy.
So much to see at AOG Energy
Alongside the exhibition floor, AOG Energy will host a free industry-led conference program. Featuring three dedicated theatres – keynote speakers will address opportunities, trends, and challenges in the industry. The conference will see a significant focus on renewables and hydrogen from industry-leading players in the clean energy sector.
“The Centre of Decommissioning Australia (CODA), one of the event’s major sponsors, will be building a decommissioning hub at the show to help inform and educate the industry and connecting and collaborating the industry about the opportunities decommissioning can yield,” says Hare.
Similarly, National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), will have the NERA Technology Discovery Centre where attendees can discover how it is working to support Australia’s energy transition. The NERA team will be joined by technology SME’s from their programs and wider energy network, each with an innovative clean-tech solution to the challenges facing the energy sector.
To add to the excitement, NERA will be running a pitch-battle at the show which is sure to get many attendees involved.
“The program, LETs Pitch 2023, is looking for Australian low emissions SME’s with technology solutions to help accelerate the nation’s net-zero future. It’s open for start-up or scale-up businesses with a technology that includes clean hydrogen, low emissions electricity, electrification and fuel switching, and CCS,” says Hare.
From those applications, eight companies will be shortlisted to receive tailored pitch mentoring and coaching ahead of the live pitch event on day one of AOG Energy.
An incredible opportunity, the NERA LETs Pitch program, along with the CODA decommissioning hub, are two of the many events taking place at AOG Energy.
Reforging connections
“It’s an exciting opportunity to bring like-minded people together once again,” says Hare.
“An event like AOG Energy has the formal side of it through which people get to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the industry. But where the magic really happens is when people come together; that serendipity of forming new connections with others and that human connection.”
Such events featuring at AOG Energy include the Subsea Welcome Drinks. Kicking off the week before the doors of the convention officially open, the Subsea Welcome Drinks is the first of many networking events for the industry to reunite over a few drinks and canapes. The official opening party, held on day one of the exhibition is yet another chance for attendees to come together. There, leaders of the industry, colleagues and clients will gather in a relaxed garden party setting, featuring entertainment, food, and drinks.
While this is AOG Energy’s largest networking event and certainly not one to be missed, it is not the only one; the annual Diversity and Inclusion Breakfast is a thought-provoking morning.
“The theme for the breakfast is driving change to create respectful workplaces,” says Hare.
Diversity and inclusion leaders from across the oil, gas and energy industry come together at the breakfast not only to discuss and implement strategies to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace – but also to get to know one another better.
“While ideas like this will definitely permeate the exhibition and conference as a whole, it’s important to be able to establish an event like the Diversity and Inclusion Breakfast where we as an industry can come together,” he says.
For the last four decades, AOG Energy has brought the entire supply chain together in the oil and gas epicentre in Australia – and 2023 is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever.
“AOG Energy will grant the chance for industry members to come together to establish connections with engineers, manufacturers, designers, contractors and other industry leaders,” says Hare.
“We’re looking forward to getting to reconnect with familiar faces – and get to know new ones across the three-day event.”
AOG Energy will be the destination to reconnect, discover opportunity, and stimulate business growth in 2023.