AEGPL Congress 2012: Brussels Welcomes the LPG Sector

Brussels played host to over 1,100 LPG industry professionals from hundreds of LPG companies from across the globe last week at the annual AEGPL Congress, which by all accounts was a huge success.

The Conference This year’s conference saw an eclectic mix of speeches and presentations from high-level LPG industry speakers, politicians and civil servants as well as members of industries closely connected with the LPG sector such as OEMs and retrofitters, equipment manufacturers, the natural gas industry, and the communications professions. MEP Lena Kolarska Bobinska (pictured left) set the scene with her keynote address in which she referred to the changing energy landscape in Europe and the importance of LPG and natural gas in the energy mix of the future and the key role of energy efficiency legislation. Five lively Congress sessions followed, covering different topics ranging from the high-level opening session which focused on the future of the European LPG sector to an exchange of experiences with colleagues on the other side of the Atlantic via an Autogas focus session and an update on supply and marketing approaches. The Congress also opened its doors for the first time to members of the European institutions and other stakeholders for a very lively debate on the role of gas in Europe, which included speaking contributions from two senior European Commission officials. The Exhibition As always, the exhibition was the heart of the event. This year was particularly busy, not just due to the turnout  -  as one exhibitor commented “It’s great to see the lunches take place within the exhibition – it means there is no reason for anyone to go outside. Despite the economic climate we’ve had some great discussions here”. AEGPL’s new initiative to offer exhibitors the chance to give presentations within the exhibition also drew people in (see below), and is something we will look to do again in future events.
Summing up, AEGPL’s President Ramón de Luis Serrano said, “I’ve spoken to many delegates and exhibitors, and it is clear that both the content and the logistics of this year’s event have been excellent -  I am also happy to say that we have helped raise the profile of LPG among key policy-makers and stakeholders in Brussels. Overall coming to Brussels was a real winning choice for AEGPL, the conference and the exhibition.”  The event was wrapped up at the very elegant Musée de Beaux-Arts, with delegates enjoying a tour of the Magritte Museum and evening of fine food, wine, all in the company of the European LPG family!