Gastech 2009 Call for Papers published

Hosted by ADNOC & Group of Companies Gastech 2009 will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, 25-28 May 2009.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 5 September 2008.

All accepted presentations are presented to delegates on a CD ROM and made searchable online.

There's also a helpful video online on the website.

"Our Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) has identified a theme for Gastech 2009 - 'GAS: A TIME OF CHANGE - challenges, solutions and alternatives'; and also a range of highly relevant session headings for both our Commercial and Technical streams," explains Event Director Tony Stephenson of dmg world media (uk) ltd.

"And, in the Call for Papers they have also highlighted some of the most topical issues for the gas industry on which they would like to see papers.

"These 'hot topics' include Social and environmental pursuits (social responsibility and the Green issue); Pollution (LNG and LPG ships and pollution prevention in ports); Training, crewing and manpower (manpower shortages in the LNG industry); Domestic demand; Inflation; Supplier issue technical expertise; LPG; New geographies: Singapore, Brazil, Argentina, Middle East, Australia, Africa, Mediterranean, Arctic, Russia, China, India, Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan; Pipelines (including the Arab gas pipeline; Syria/Jordan/Iraq; and Egypt to Israel); Floating LNG; and Sour gas. It's quite a list!"

Commercial and technical streams

Gastech 2009 will include commercial sessions on World gas economics - is LNG still valid?; Natural gas and LNG projects; Trading models in the gas business; New commercial frontiers; LPG: feast or famine?; Middle East - exporter or consumer?; and Is the gas industry serious about alternative energy?

As Paul Young, Chief Marketing Officer, Exmar NV, and Gastech PAC Co-Chair explains on the Call for Papers video: "Gastech attracts dignitaries and decision makers" - and it is to those decision makers that the selected speakers will be speaking, delivering exciting and perhaps controversial papers.

Sessions under the technical banner at Gastech will include LNG, LPG and chemical gas shipping; Safety and training for ship and shore operations; Gas utilization; Environmentally-friendly technologies; Advances in key enabling technologies; Floating production facilities - hype or reality?; CO2 and carbon capture - friend or foe?; and New economic reality.

"To put thoughts together and crystallise them in conference paper form is a very positive step," says Chris Clucas, Commercial Director, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement IoM, and Co-Chair of the Gastech PAC.

"It marks out people inside a company as "thinkers"; and it also provides an opportunity to increase the accumulated knowledge of the industry. Some past Gastech papers are, for example, standard reading for training courses. Presenting a paper at Gastech is an opportunity not to be missed, you will be speaking to an interested and supportive audience of top professionals. And, bear in mind that Gastech looks after its speakers exceptionally well. Go for it, write that abstract today.

The ideal time to book space as well

Now is the ideal time to book space, for more than 130 companies now occupy more than 10,000 sq.m of exhibition space, with only a few spaces now remaining on the floorplan.

A 3-minute video on the Gastech website sets out the five excellent reasons for exhibiting at Gastech 2009.

These are recommendation (97% of Gastech 2008 exhibitors would recommend exhibiting to another company); satisfied customers (99% of 2008 exhibitors achieved their objectives); an event growing in importance (six qualified buyers walked through the door every six minutes at Gastech 2008); it's the place to meet prime decision makers (33% of delegates were director level or above; and 50% of visitors to Gastech 2008 were prime decision makers on purchasing decisions); and it's taking place at a brand new venue in a region of opportunity (Abu Dhabi has attracted $5bn investment in gas infrastructure and services).

Saif Ahmed Al-Ghafli, General Manager of ADGAS, who features in the video, sums it up by saying: "This is the platform where we can really have direct contact with the engineering firms, the suppliers and contractors who are really active in this industry. We believe with this gathering under one roof we can really have close discussions with these people."

Looking back - and forward

Gastech 2008 held in March 2008 in Bangkok Thailand, where it was hosted by PTT, attracted 2572 conference attendees out of a total attendance of 11,526 from well over 50 countries. 33% of the conference delegates were of Director level or above.

"What's more, 92% of our exhibitors - and we had 300 exhibiting companies from 36 countries - thought that Gastech was one of the best events of its kind," explains Tony Stephenson.

"With 10,000m2 already booked by exhibitors, the vast majority of the space available at Gastech 2009 has been taken. We're looking forward to a highly successful show, and are working with hosts ADNOC to ensure that this is the most memorable of events in the long and distinguished series."