INTERNATIONAL EXPORTING EVENTS
Kate Heriot, head of events at the BIG Partnership
Safety first (except when it comes to keynotes)
Astronaut, Paralympic athlete and the CEO of Porsche; thinking differently about speakers
BY WILLIAM PEAKIN K
ate Heriot is just back from Abu Dhabi, where representatives of the world’s oil and gas industry were meeting
to discuss the ‘economics of safety’ - with the challenge of oil prices at just $50 a barrel. OPITO, the industry’s organisation
for skills, training and workforce development, was holding its annual conference on safety there, organised
by the BIG Partnership. “Tere was a very strong attendance, with more than 430 registrations, which given the financial pressure on the indus- try was a great result,” said Heriot, BIG’s head of events. Te OPITO Safety and Competence
Conference (OSCC) is the annual, global event wholly focused on safety and competency in the oil and gas industry. It has been a catalyst for significantly raising the profile of OPITO internationally and position- ing the organisation as a leader in global safety standards. “Each event has surpassed the
previous one in terms of content and delegate feedback,” said Heriot, who was appointed head of events at BIG in February last year. “Each has had a different focus, ranging from manag- ing the safety chain, competency
versus compliance, to leadership and how it affects change in behaviour in relation to safety.” Keynote speakers have included a
world-renowned astronaut, the chief executive of the Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, a paralympic cyclist, a UN Commander of British Forces in Bosnia and, this year, Kevin Gaskell, the former chief executive of Porsche, Lamborghini and BMW, who spoke about the importance of long-term vision in the face of short-term pressures. “We have expert speakers from
within the oil and gas industry,” said Heriot, “but we have found it very useful for delegates to have a perspective from those in other in- dustries, but who have faced similar challenges.” Te first OSCC in 2010 attracted
150 attendees; at three times the size, this year delegates comprised a mix of government officials, regula- tors, national and international oil company representatives, contractors and training providers. Te profile of delegates has remained senior with a significant number of attendees at an executive level within their organisa- tions. “We have had excellent feedback
since the initial event,” said Heriot. Delegates consistently rate the conference and speakers in the high nineties and 98% say they would at- tend another OSCC. In 2011, the first year that organisers offered sponsor- ship, revenue totalled £10,000; this year, that had grown to £38,000. Equally, the exhibition was the larg-
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