From left: Leow, Mohd Azumi and Azman at the press conference. — ART CHEN/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Oil and Gas Asia (OGA), South-East Asia’s largest trade event of its kind, aims to drive business growth and opportunities in energy transition in the Asia-Pacific (Apac) region.
Organiser Informa Markets Malaysia announced that the Energy Industries Council (EIC) is joining the event as a conference partner for the first time and will drive the agenda of how Apac can accelerate low carbon pathways and unleash new potential for the region’s energy sector.
Informa Markets co-chairman General (R) Tan Sri Mohd Azumi Mohamed said there is a significant presence of Malaysia oil and gas services and equipment companies.
“This is indeed a positive sign that the local industry is rebounding after the Covid-19 pandemic and these companies are now better positioned to tackle the pressing challenges of energy transition and explore new growth opportunities,” he said at the OGA press conference yesterday.
Mohd Azumi highlighted that as the industry continues to go through rapid changes, the OGA will be the perfect platform for all stakeholders to meet and discuss face-to-face the various aspects of oil, gas, energy and petrochemicals engineering innovation and what lies ahead.
The EIC, the conference partner, will co-locate its annual EIC-Apac energy discussions with OGA.
A leadership roundtable will be held during the three-day conference to examine concrete steps that may be taken to make the region’s energy transition more realistic and feasible.
The future of the oil, gas and energy industries in Asia, particularly the decarbonisation pathways on how to reduce and adapt to the effects of climate change, will be discussed at the conference by 28 local and international speakers.
EIC regional director Azman Nasir said that they will be inviting key local stakeholders and national oil companies from the region to the EIC conference to deliberate on the realistic approach for Asia in efforts to achieve targets in net-zero carbon emissions.
“There will also be excellent networking opportunities and business matching for Malaysian energy supply chain and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are our local partners,” he said.
Azman said as one of the largest trade associations for energy in the UK, the EIC tracks US$13.5 trillion (RM62.3 trillion) of global energy projects, where 70% of the projects are for renewable energy.
The leadership roundtable is supported by the UK Department for Business and Trade, British-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and Scottish International Development, Malaysian Oil, Gas and Energy Services Council (MOGSC), Malaysian Petrochemicals Association, as well as regional and local energy stakeholders.
According to a statement by Informa Markets, the MOGSC will also be hosting the SME Pavilion and Innovation Pavilion to allow local businesses to concentrate on opportunities to expand internationally.
The two pavilions will be strategically placed to increase the visibility of the exhibitors and highlight their homegrown technologies and innovation.
Apart from the pavilions, there are more immersive features in the OGA to enhance networking and business opportunities, including a new open dialogue forum called Speak OGA and Matrade’s International Sourcing Programme (INSP).
Sharing the exhibition floor, Speak OGA opened a new track for peer-to-peer exchange with support from the supporting partners for attendees to gather insights into the Asean energy landscape agenda, 4th Industrial Revolution and downstream petrochemicals.
The INSP is a flagship business matching of Matrade and has long been an integral part of the OGA, which connects Malaysian companies seeking international partners or to expand into new markets.
Additionally, to improve the customer experience for all participants, the OGA is also collaborating with Malaysia Airlines and its subsidiary, Firefly, as the official carriers and HealthLand as the official wellness partner.
Informa Markets senior event manager Derrick Leow shared that in 2022, when the conference resumed in-person post-pandemic, it had received greater response due to the pent-up demand to catch up face-to-face.
“For the 2023 show, I am pleased to share that the response is equally robust. The event will be held across seven exhibition halls, taking up a 25% increase of now 20,000 sq m space,” he said.
Leow said the proven strong international interest in OGA 2023 reflects the growing attention on Malaysia as the regional industry hub amid the transformation to a new energy future.
On sustainability, Informa will be introducing fully recyclable exhibition stands made out of cardboard for the first time at the OGA.
“This is step one in eventually changing how large-scale exhibitions will be run,” Leow added.
Known as one of the longest running industry trade shows in Asia since 1985, the OGA is a one-stop platform to enable business and networking opportunities across the entire energy industry chain, as well as to bolster Malaysia’s position as a regional oil and gas hub.
The three-day event will welcome 25,000 participants from 52 countries to meet 2,000 exhibitors and brands across seven halls with international pavilions from China, Germany, Italy, Singapore, South Korea, UK and the United States.
The OGA is set to open its 19th edition next month from Sept 13 to 15, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
