Recently in conferences Category

The ICIS contingent at last night's Chemical Industries Association (CIA) dinner has now recovered sufficiently to be able to string a few words together about the event...

A great time was had by all in the Great Room at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Thursday evening at the CIA's annual dinner. The CIA had made something of a coup in attracting UK Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to speak. He was a little late and it was generally assumed that he had been involved in the horse trading which saw Baroness Ashton of Upholland (what a great title) become the EU's first High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy EU President. Mandelson had also been a potential UK candidate for the High Representative post.

He gave a good speech vowing support for the industry in innovation and skills while warning of the "huge challenge of decarbonising industrial chemistry." (Says chemical engineer Simon: "Just how we're going to do that in an industry based on organic chemistry is beyond me, but where there's a will and unlimited science budget there could be a way.")

Numbers were down, but that had to be expected given the dire year we've had. What was noticeable was that a lot of diners stayed in the Great Room to chat after the meal rather than dash off to company hospitality suites (of which there were pitifully few), and it only thinned out at close to 1.00 am.

The CIA used its most important gathering of the year to launch a new "blueprint" for UK chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The £60 billion industry helps support 600,000 jobs and makes a big positive contribution to the UK balance of trade and, the CIA feels, deserves wider recognition.

(Event coverage by Nigel Davis, Will Beacham, Simon Robinson, Franco Capaldo.)

Click here for ICIS news articles:

UK chemicals face total re-invention

UK chemical industry at risk - CIA

The APPEC conference in Singapore last week had some spectacular social events every night, Christine tells me today on her return to London. At the Lukoil party, guests had their photos taken and were given souvenir postcards to take away. Here the ICIS team is captured hard at work on Russian/Singaporean détente - clockwise from top:  Roland, Vicky, Sachie, Sheldon.

At last, the official EPCA photos we were all looking forward to. EPCA posted them on the website on Wednesday, where delegates are able to download them by using their conference username and password. A few selected highlights have been chosen for the Blog's readers (photos copyright EPCA).

The whole EPCA Berlin experience is captured for posterity in this video clip, shot in the lobby of the Berlin Intercontinental and the ICIS suite, and starring familiar faces from the world of petrochemicals as they rush about their business over three days in October 2009. Thanks to Stephen Burns of ICIS Houston for encapsulating the drama and passion of the event in this 2.19 minute video, with a jolly German oompah band backing track.

The Women in Leadership Forum (WILForum) in Dubai yesterday awarded its Achievement Award in Energy to the CEO of Kuwait Oil Company, delegates reported as they returned to their offices. The Forum was held under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein (pictured).

Olefins trader Gina Fyffe of Integra was among those shortlisted for the Energy award at the conference, which was held at the Atlantis, Palm Jumeirah.

(photo: WILForum)

The Blog has been enjoying the almond-stuffed dates from Dubai which are the most edible souvenir of last week's ICIS Middle East Baseoils Conference.

Our own Shelley Kerr is just back from presenting a paper at the conference's Baseoils Methodology Seminar and meeting many of her editorial contacts during the two-and-a-half day event. From her photos, I see that the highlights of the trip were the Dubai skyline, the belly-dancing with full delegate participation, the reunion with the ICIS Dubai alumni and a delegate outing to Rock Bottom.

Caroline Howard reflects on this week's PET conference in Florence ....

The warm October sunshine is the first thing to hit me on landing at Florence airport. I am at the Global Service International (GSI) PET customer day which is being held in a stately home in the town of Artimino.

Set in the Tuscan hills, this Medici stronghold exudes Renaissance elegance. It is worlds away from the bustling modernity of the Intercontinental in Berlin, where I have just spent three days for EPCA .

Admittedly, I was let out until the small hours of the mornings for some serious networking! I soon realise, however, that this training may prove useful as the 160 delegates and I are led to the wine cellars of the Paggeria Medicea. An evening of Italian culinary delights ensues.

The Vopak Monday night party at EPCA was one of the conference highlights. Here is a selection of pictures of the Blog's favourite characters from the Vopak photo collection ...

While we are still recovering from EPCA Berlin, Ed Cox and the ICIS Heren team are in sunny Buenos Aires to cover the World Gas Conference. A starry-eyed Ed puts down his glass of Malbec to spill the beans on the latest Gazprom extravaganza ... 

Here I am at the World Gas Conference in sunny Buenos Aires. I have seen a million sights - I could write about any of these - or the amazing stalls at the conference itself. But no. Keen readers may remember my brush with Russian giant Gazprom earlier in the year, during the spat with Ukraine, which left a certain mark on me. Amid all the tango dancing, steak and fine wine, once again it's the smell of vodka and Russian gas that will linger longest in my mind.

You see, each company has a 'stall' at the conference. It's the biggest exhibition I've ever seen. There must be 1,000 stalls. Some of them are bigger than a house. Some have women dancing outside them, Formula One cars, free booze. And then there's the Gazprom 'stall'. It's the size of a temple with an ice skating rink in front of it. Word is that the Russian girls who skate on it are some of the best in the world. It's the biggest stand in the most prominent position, it really is quite amazing.

I picked up a few new business cards at EPCA from old friends moving jobs.

Barry Hurley, formerly of BP and INEOS, has now set up a consultancy Barry Hurley Associates.

Joe Duffy, previously with Huntsman and SABIC, has joined DeWitt as Vice President, Ethylene, Propylene and Derivatives, EAME, based in the UK, but I see no sign of him on the company website.

Nick King, most recently ex-Artenius, was giving out cards with the company name Cloonacool Consultancy, which he said he had not yet registered, hence no website as yet.