Oceantic Network hosts virtual event on U.S. industry starting on eve of 50th anniversary
For Immediate Release: April 21, 2020
Media Contact: Peter Kelly and Lauren Glickman | [email protected] | 202-270-8831
BALTIMORE – A silver lining of making part of the Western Hemisphere’s biggest conference about offshore wind energy a virtual event has been major savings in CO2 emissions. Liz Burdock, president and CEO of Oceantic Network, released the following statement today for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day:
Attendees usually travel from all over the world to attend IPF. By hosting IPF Virtual this April 21-22, we are eliminating hundreds of individual flights and thousands of miles of ground transportation, use of over 1,600 hotel rooms and a large meeting space, and preparation of thousands of meals, avoiding at least 119,076 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
Offshore wind developers, and the states and suppliers we work with are already committed to decarbonizing their operations. Some are moving to 50 percent reductions by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Their commitments become our commitments. Industry organizations like ours are also going to need to evolve and reduce our carbon footprints.
At the Oceantic Network, we knew we would soon need to:
- Focus on creating a virtual platform where hundreds of attendees could learn, interact, and ask important questions.
- Minimize our events’ carbon footprint for air travel, ground transportation, hotel space, meals, and more.
- Curate virtual workshops and presentations that were time-sensitive and critical to near-term decision-making for our attending companies.
- Provide an inclusive format that would give our attendees chances to share their views on the offshore wind industry, the conference, and looking for ways to apply that feedback to our future hybrid virtual and in-person events.
- Find ways to increase accessibility to future conferences by including more virtual attendees, who might not otherwise have the time or the resources to cover event plus travel costs to attend Network events.
We are proud to announce that we have developed the capabilities to meet these five goals in just two months, instead of the three- to five-year timeframe we had originally envisioned.
We would like to say this was all planned in an effort to mark the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, but the reality is it was a result of wanting to keep all of our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors and speakers from around the world safe from the current COVID-19 pandemic affecting us all.
However, while IPF Virtual may be our first major virtual event, it won’t be our last. Physical, in-person events will always have a place in our planning, but low-carbon conferences are going to play an important role in educational offerings starting today, on Earth Day 2020, as we help our members meet their CO2 emission commitments.
Our new virtual suite of offerings includes: Podcasts, webinars, educational trainings, research poster briefings, job fairs, virtual town halls, and business pitches to ensure our members can promote their capabilities to potential clients. We have always prided ourselves on providing a world-class event featuring outstanding networking and business matchmaking opportunities, which will continue to always be a vital part of every in-person offering. Expanding these valuable networking experiences to include virtual opportunities ensures attendees will have regular touchpoints to industry decision makers.
Coming together virtually or in-person, we can build an offshore wind industry that supports a cleaner, greener planet for future generations. For our organization, undertaking a series of virtual activities to reduce CO2 has become a silver lining in a very challenging situation, and a major milestone for us on Earth Day.
The Oceantic Network’s IPF Virtual kicks off at 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday with the annual overview of the U.S. offshore wind industry. The full schedule is available here. To obtain press credentials, attend a press-only Q&A at 10 a.m., or request an interview, please contact [email protected] or call 202-270-8831.
Additional information:
- IPF Virtual webpage
- IPF Media Kit for press use (Credit: Oceantic Network)
The Oceantic Network is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a robust offshore wind supply chain in the U.S. It advances the industry forward through education, facilitating partnerships, and events, including the International Offshore Wind Partnership Forum, the largest offshore wind conference in America. Learn more at oceantic.org.
