Christopher Hudson, president of dmg events, discusses what to expect at ADIPEC 2021, which takes place from 15-18 November at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
How significant is it that ADIPEC is taking place as an in-person event, and what opportunities will it offer to global energy professionals to re-connect and establish new business relationships?
After more than a year of lockdowns, restrictions and virtual sessions, the message we have received from the industry is clear: it is eager to again meet in person, share knowledge, and find new opportunities that simply could not happen virtually. The industry thrives on relationships – and as we know, conversations are always more productive in person. ADIPEC 2021 provides the best opportunity for these long-awaited discussions. An in-person event is also the best means by which we can give the next generation of energy professionals strategic and technical insights on the latest trends.
What role do you think ADIPEC will play as a knowledge-sharing platform to address industry challenges and set the agenda for the post-Covid era?
One of the primary industry challenges will be navigating the energy transition. ADIPEC 2021 will be the first major energy exhibition and conference taking place after the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) – so it will serve as the crucial opportunity for the sector to come together and reflect on governments’ positions on reducing global emissions. It will be the key forum where CEOs, government ministers and energy experts will set out the sector’s future.
ADIPEC continues to be one of the world’s most influential meeting places for the energy sector to convene on the major issues of the evolving landscape. There is a great amount to discuss this year for energy companies, governments, and stakeholders across the value chain, from the challenges posed by new emissions targets to the possibilities opened up by the world’s ongoing economic recovery.
Having navigated the challenges of the past year, we are excited to see the industry accelerating its plans for the future. Our Leadership Roundtables will provide leaders an exclusive forum in which to discuss and debate the energy sector’s strategic issues. These invitation-only roundtables will be attended exclusively by government ministers and policymakers, CEOs and other C-suite executives, who will come together in our prestigious Middle East Energy Forum to tackle the major issues shaping the industry – including the actions being taken to address the climate challenge and opportunities to find growth over the next decade.
What is the anticipated attendance, in terms of visitor and exhibitor numbers etc?
More than 2,000 companies have already booked their stands as exhibitors, including 51 NOCs, IOCs, and IECs. 26 international country pavilions from across the world have also booked at ADIPEC, where exhibitors will display their innovative approaches to investing in and collaborating with the energy sector.
Across the four days, we’ll host more than 8,000 delegates, including some 1,000 ministers, CEOs, policymakers and influencers, while more than 800 technical experts will come together for 160 sessions on the latest and most exciting forms of energy technology.
To what extent will innovation be showcased at ADIPEC?
Innovation will be an extremely important – and particularly exciting – focus at this year’s exhibition. ADIPEC 2021 will present a comprehensive overview of those new technologies enabling the energy sector not only to respond and adapt to decarbonisation, but also to unlock more value at all stages of the value chain.
The exhibition will enable our visitors to experience, at first-hand, those digital advancements and engineering breakthroughs that will enable the industry to thrive in increasingly competitive markets. I am looking forward to seeing more than 100 specialist companies showcase how they are realising the potential of drones, artificial intelligence, robotics and smart manufacturing across the exhibition floor. We’ll see how such technology is enhancing operations from upstream to downstream, improving efficiency in analytics, and bringing down costs for end users.
Digital is certainly going to be a major focus – so how can visitors see the new technology on offer at the show? Are there any new features this year you’d like to highlight?
I would strongly encourage our visitors to explore the Digitalisation Zone, a key area of the exhibition which will offer insights on everything from big data to cloud and machine learning. CTOs and industry leaders from some of the world’s biggest tech and engineering firms, including Microsoft, Nokia, Koch, and AWS, will be onsite exploring the latest ways digitalisation can enhance the energy value chain.
Our Smart Manufacturing Zone will provide a new platform from which to outline the potential of Smart Tech. Bridging the gap between energy, manufacturing and high-tech sectors, the Zone will detail what significant changes across the energy value chain will look like across the supply chain and logistics, computer-aided manufacturing, nanotechnology, ‘Materials Management 4.0’, and much more.
I am particularly keen to see all those in the running for this year’s ADIPEC Awards. Now in their 11th year, the Awards will be presented to the energy industry’s leading innovators, the projects, companies, and individuals exploring possibilities that can reshape our world.
What measures are being taken to ensure that ADIPEC is a Covid-safe event?
Our primary commitment is to the health and safety of all our visitors, delegates and speakers. We want to provide opportunities for those on both the production and consumer ends of the value chain to come together and network at ADIPEC in a safe and secure way. We want them to be able to unlock millions of dollars’ worth of new business and to discover the range of products, solutions and cutting-edge technologies without fear or discomfort.
That is why we have put in place robust safety guidelines, and offer all our international visitors regular, up-to-date travel advice so that they can stay informed of all entry requirements ahead of their visit to Abu Dhabi. We are in constant and close contact with the UAE authorities, including the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, Abu Dhabi Health Services, and ADNEC, to ensure we remain ahead of developments and can offer all our visitors the most secure experience. We would also refer our visitors to our own dmg events ‘All Secure’ framework, which provides a detailed set of enhanced health and safety measures that are practical, effective and widely considered to be best practice for the events industry.
