THE reputable Middle East Petroleum Club (MEPC) is offering its high-profile members an invaluable experience this year with an exclusive VIP programme and a purpose-built theatre at one of the world’s largest energy events.

Established in 2012, the MEPC is a distinguished private business club for the most influential leaders in the oil and gas industry to connect with peers and colleagues. The club provides a platform for top-level industry professionals to strengthen existing connections and forge new ones in a discreet and private environment at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec), and at organised year-round networking events.

New to Adipec 2014, MEPC members will have access to a purpose-built conference theatre that will host the MEPC VIP programme, a series of discussions and briefings that tackle some of the world’s impending issues in the oil and gas sector. Topics will cover the important role of women in industry, the potential of emerging markets, namely Indonesia and Mexico, in helping to meet global energy demands, and a UAE Downstream Briefing.

Ali Khalifa Al Shamsi, the Adipec 2014 chairman, and Strategy and Coordination director at Adnoc, says: “In a world of increasing digitalisation and technological progression, the need for face to face contact is at an all time high.”

“The Middle East Petroleum Club and the associated Al Multaqa luncheons, provide both the time and the means to maintain this all important contact in an exclusive environment befitting the industry’s most senior figures,” he adds.

Al Multaqa, which means “the gathering” in Arabic, is a programme of four events taking place over the course of the year only for MEPC members. Each Al Multaqa event has a different theme, all covering various current topics within the industry. These high-profile gatherings are attended by respected industry leaders, ministers and country officials, and offer decision-makers a unique opportunity to share and acquire knowledge on innovative solutions to the growing challenges facing the energy sector.

MEPC ... offers extensive network opportunities

An estimated 2,000 high-ranking professionals across the Middle East, Africa, North Africa, and the Indian sub-continent have been invited to participate in this highly anticipated programme, which has already received significant interest from regional industry leaders.

“The MEPC offers extensive networking and engagement opportunities with industry leaders and professionals in an informal setting. It is a great network for catching up with professional acquaintances and meeting new ones,” says Aseel Hamoodi, vice president of Talent and Capability Management at the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations, and a member of the Regional Select Jury (RSJ) for the Adipec Awards 2014.

Members of the MEPC receive a special MEPC badge, which serves as pre-registration for the event and confers a series of benefits that include parking, fast-track venue access, exclusive MEPC lounge access, and entry to the VIP content sessions.

The MEPC private lounge at Adipec 2014 will continue to offer the club’s members comfortable facilities and five-star cuisine in a discreet setting that provides an ideal location for industry leaders to network and exchange business ideas.

“The opportunities to network and communicate are key for business success,” says Rafi Baghdjian, chief operating officer at Shell Abu Dhabi, and an RSJ member.

“Last year, the MEPC provided senior Shell visitors with an excellent location for business meetings in the private room that we had booked, and gave us an opportunity to network with other industry leaders in the main areas of the MEPC. I am looking forward to the experience this year at Adipec 2014,” he adds.