October 23, 2019 - 8:50 AM EDT
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EDITORIAL: LAGCOE search for answers leads to New Orleans

Oct. 23-- Oct. 23--There were signposts along the road from Lafayette to New Orleans that might have convinced LAGCOE's leadership that changing the biennial event's location from the smaller city to the larger one would generate greater success.

There were signals, too, that the oil-and-gas industry's premier trade show could have stayed home in Lafayette, where the Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition has been supported since 1955.

But LAGCOE leadership took a brave step in presenting the exposition in New Orleans this month, if only for the 2019 and 2021 shows. The first show held at the Ernest Morial Convention Center in New Orleans this month appears to have been a success: LAGCOE leaders changed more than an exposition venue and city; they changed the industry outlook for the show.

Reasons for the move?

-- LAGCOE attendance slipped from 17,000 attendees in 2013 to 16,000 attendees in 2015 to 10,000 in 2017. In short, support was sinking.

-- Sited in Lafayette, where offshore production and service industries reign in the energy industry, the show was less relevant to other aspects of the oil and gas industry. In New Orleans, LAGCOE lured new participants from other portions of the industry, such as liquefied natural gas and Permian Basin producers.

-- The venue was superb, expansive, clean and bright. Vendors were under one roof, unlike at the Cajundome in Lafayette, where the show spilled into the parking lot. Vendors slipped to 300 this year, but the Morial Convention Center could have held more.

-- New Orleans, an international tourism draw, offered plenty of hotel rooms within walking distance and offered a surfeit of night entertainment. It also had abundant flights with easy connections. Hotels, night life and flights had long presented concerns in Lafayette.

True enough, attendance slipped to 4,200. But for the first time, those who attended were charged admission, which limited the show mostly to serious shoppers. That was what many vendors wanted: access to oil and gas executives who could sign contracts and write checks.

Angela Cring, LAGCOE executive director, said the first New Orleans show generated support and some skepticism because of smaller crowds. It also provided a baseline for a refashioned event; the 2021 show may suggest a trend for its future.

Higher oil and gas prices would fix a lot of industry problems, including LAGCOE's attendance. Given the industry's struggles, many trade shows have experienced setbacks this year.

Beset with challenges, LAGCOE took to the road for answers. Credit LAGCOE's board for trying.


Source: INACTIVE-Tribune Regional (October 23, 2019 - 8:50 AM EDT)

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