ABU Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference 2008 (Adipec) is set to be the biggest show ever since it was launched in 1984 as a one-day event.

Being held for the 13th time, Adipec has grown 100 per cent since it was held last in 2006. This year it is also seeing the biggest exhibiting space to date, with record numbers of participants and exhibitors gathering in Abu Dhabi from November 3 to 6.
Boasting 18 national pavilions, this year’s event is seeing debuts from Saudi Arabia, Korea and Norway. Adipec is experiencing phenomenal growth with every edition and is supported by governments from across the globe. The significance of the event is shown by the high level of official bodies supporting the national pavilions, including the US Department of Commerce; the Italian Trade Commission; the Association of German Trade Fair Commission; UK Trade and Investment; Scottish Development International; Canadian Trade Commission; Innovations Norway; AWO Austrian Federal Economic Chamber; Fluidex – Spanish Association of Fluid Handling Equipment Exporters; UbiFrance – the French Agency for International Business Development; IRO; and the Association of Dutch Suppliers in the oil and gas industry.
The number of exhibitors has grown to 1,500, who will be showcasing the latest technologies, with some 40,000 visitors expected to attend the event. This year, industry giants from over 55 countries will be participating in what has now become one of the largest oil and gas exhibitions in the world.  Adipec is the only international oil and gas show with significant representation from the major IOCs, NOCs and international service companies and manufacturers.
This year’s event will take up the whole space of the newly opened Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) with over 55,000 sq m of exhibiting space indoors, 28,000 sq m concourse area as well as outdoor space, dedicated conferencing space and more than 20 meeting rooms.
The exhibition centre officially opened in February 2007 and is now a hub for regional events, exhibitions and conferences with over 1.5 million visitors expected each year. Phase 2 of Adnec is nearing completion, when complete it will offer 55,000 sq m of prime indoor exhibition space, 18,000 sq m concourse with ample outdoor exhibiting space, dedicated conference areas, more than 20 meeting rooms, food courts, banquet facilities, and car parking for more than 6,000 vehicles.
David Drake, business development manager at dmg world media, the organisers of Adipec, says: “We have seen a massive increase in the interest shown in exhibiting at this year’s Adipec, with all exhibiting space sold out months in advance. The event is increasingly a must on the trade calendar of industry professionals.”
The Adipec Conference programme is the strongest ever, and brings together more than 200 international speakers delivering keynote addresses and participating in two executive plenaries, technical presentations, 26 technical sessions and 10 executive panels. The 2008 conference will break through traditional barriers and aims to foster an environment where professionals from the oil industry can discuss and review industry best practices that can add real value to their own businesses.
The exhibition, one of the largest of its kind in the world, creates a platform for industry professionals to interact and disseminate industry information and collate with fellows on a global scale. This year, the conference, with a theme of “Working Together to Deliver Sustainable Growth: Innovative Teams and Technology Deployment” has attracted double the amount of abstracts and the quality of speakers is nothing short of exceptional.
The exhibition and conference will be a showcase in which many new technologies and innovations can be viewed, as well as the unveiling of new software and services which can be presented to international industry leaders. Visitors will have the opportunity to discuss and learn about the latest methods and equipment, in exploration, production, refining, recovery, safety regulations, logistics, and environment protection, to name but a few.
Alongside the Adipec 2008 exhibition and conference, will be the second Energy 2030 conference, designed to illustrate Abu Dhabi’s commitment to leading the global debate for energy resources of the future.  This is set to inspire some proactive discussion on the global debate on energy.
Being hosted by Adipec in close association with The Petroleum Institute and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), the Energy 2030 Conference, now in its second year,  will illustrate Abu Dhabi’s ‘Vision 2030’ and its commitment to leading the global debate for energy resources of the future.
Initiating the educational and international debate on future energy resources and technologies, the Energy 2030 Conference will provide a forum for views to be voiced and information delivered which may prove to be of critical value to the strategic planning of research and development in the oil and gas and broader energy areas. The technical programme will consist of twelve invited lectures and boasts high profile keynote talks by industry experts and scholars from around the world.
Highly recognised experts will discuss topical issues on current and emerging energy resources and technologies that are likely to serve as critically important contributors to the energy supply, in various sectors, 20 to 25 years from now. These invited speakers will share their vision of resources and technologies spanning fossil and alternative fuels, energy from waste and biomass, solar and nuclear energy, energy efficiency and environmental initiatives.
Dr Ohadi, professor, provost and interim president for the Petroleum Institute, says: “Providing sustainable energy is a top agenda item of the world in this century. Having a realistic understanding of the available options now and in the future can serve critically useful to the strategic planning of Research and Development in the Oil and Gas and the broader Energy areas. The primary objective of Energy 2030 forum of experts is to provide a collective independent expert opinion on the current status and future outlook of various energy resources and technologies.”