Evolution of the ASPO-USA Conference

ASPO-USA has held seven annual conferences since the first in 2005.  Each conference has been different in its own way—different locations, speakers, topics, etc.  The essence of the conference, however, has remained the same—an opportunity to learn about and discuss Peak Oil issues with leading experts in the field and other knowledgeable people.  As ASPO-USA plans future conferences and events, we want to preserve and strengthen this primary value of the conference.

At the same time, as ASPO-USA’s work has evolved, other goals and objectives have been attached to the conference—for example, outreach to the media, policymakers, and partner organizations has become more prominent, especially with the last two conferences being held in Washington DC.  The more goals ascribed to a single event, however, the more difficult it can be to achieve them with equal success.  Our goals are likely to be better served by planning separate events tailored for different purposes.  It would also better distribute our efforts over time, and enable us to seize other opportunities to advance our work.  Overall, ASPO-USA is re-examining its goals for the annual conference, and how different events and activities may better achieve certain objectives.

We see the focus of the main annual conference to be on in-depth learning, information exchange, and networking among people actively following Peak Oil issues.  It would primarily meet the needs of our core constituency, though the program could include a technical review of Peak Oil fundamentals for people with less extensive background.  There is also considerable diversity among our members and constituents, and feedback from conference attendees suggests that that the conference program could be tailored to meet different interests without diminishing the value of interaction among these diverse constituencies.

Consistent with this view, the annual conference could also serve as a showcase for innovative companies and organizations, and a forum for people to forge business connections, build relationships, and organize collective actions.  All in all, the annual conference should serve as a marketplace of ideas and information, and people eager for both.

Outreach to new audiences including media, policymakers, and prospective partner organizations would still be an important part of ASPO-USA’s work, but it would be advanced primarily through other means at other times of the year.

This would also mean that our main conference does not need to be held in Washington DC; other locations may serve our goals much better, if immediate proximity to Capitol Hill is no longer an issue.  Other events such as a policy forum, media briefings, meetings with policymakers, or outreach events with partner organizations could be held in Washington DC as appropriate.  Attendance by members of the core Peak Oil community would be welcome, but less critical as these events would be targeted at other audiences.

If you have comments about the future of the conference, and the plans described above, please contact us at info@aspousa.org.  Thanks!

Comments

By Michael on January 12th, 2012 at 2:10 pm

Glad to hear this.

Please consider bringing the annual conference back to Houston (occasionally).