What is a Forum?
Forums are SPE’s “forward-looking” meetings – what will the industry or the technology be like (or need to be like) in 5 or 10 years, and how are we going to get there. Forums are designed to bring people from across the industry who know the most about a specific technology together in one place for a week to discuss the future development of the technology – the potential of the technology, the challenges and barriers, and possible directions/solutions. Conclusions are not as important as getting ideas on the table. Forums are intended as idea-generators that will help the participants go back to their companies with a new energy focused on moving toward future needs.
Forums are…
- Limited in attendance (75 to 85 people) to allow opportunities for discussion
- By invitation only. Applications to attend are accepted, and require submission of information about the applicant’s background and experience. All applications are reviewed by the Forum Steering Committee, which selects the attendees based on who will contribute the most to the discussion and having a balance of viewpoints (service company, operators, consultants, academics, representation from various disciplines involved in the technology, etc.).
- Confidential to encourage open discussion. Extensive note-taking is not allowed, and nothing is published except possibly a short summary if all attendees agree to one.
- Heavy on discussion and interaction. Formal presentations are discouraged. Discussion leaders start with three or four slides to set up the discussion and then open it up. Break-out groups are often used to discuss a topic in a smaller group and then report back to the full group.
- Relaxed and informal with time for networking. They are held in resort-like settings and include social events and free time to allow informal interaction among participants. Attire is casual.
- Not for everyone. Forums are about idea-generation. Forums are the place for companies to send their key technologists and brightest people.
- International. SPE holds Forums in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific. Each Forum draws international attendance, though the majority of attendees may be from the local region.
