• I rate this show as the best RE/sustainability event in the UK – well done!
• We received a large number of enquiries for our capabilities in wave, tidal, wind and solar solutions
• The show was very well organised and had a good atmosphere. There was always a good number of visitors within the exhibition hall
• Very large and vibrant conference and exhibition – a must for the renewables industry
• All-Energy is a superb event which is growing and improving year-on-year. The team do a fantastic job – keep it up!
• Lots of press people – always good!
• Excellent show, very well organised and delivers results
• Another fantastic All-Energy! It really is not to be missed for all those working in renewables. We are looking forward to next year already!
• Huge exhibition that allows people from all across the renewable industry to meet in a relaxed environment
• The most successful show yet – you supplied the people, our team did the business. More people means more opportunities to do business.

With 4700 participants from home and overseas, All-Energy ’08 proved to be the largest and busiest in its eight-show history. Visitors came from 61 countries (including Inward Missions from 27 countries) [see complete list at end of release]; and 380 exhibiting companies at the UK’s largest renewables exhibition and conference came from a dozen countries and occupied 3600m2. Plans are already under way for All-Energy ’09 which will be held 20-21 May 2009 at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

All-Energy has, for the second year running, been short listed for a British Renewable Energy Award with the Awards being presented in central London on 19 June at a Gala Dinner.

“In every way this was the biggest and the best All-Energy, proving that it continues to evolve to suit market needs,” says Paul Stott, managing director of Media Generation Events Ltd who organise the annual show in partnership with Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre. “Completed exhibitor questionnaires are still coming in, but we are delighted by the feedback we received during the show and post-event. Now that all the available conference presentations are online we are about to put out a visitor survey in order to ensure that All-Energy ’09 benefits from input from all who attended.

“Comparing year-on-year we saw a rise from 4000 participants in 2007 to 4700 this year; from 50 countries represented last year to 61 this; and from 2700m2 taken by the 350 exhibitors in 2007 to 3600m2 taken by 380 exhibiting companies at last month’s event. There were national pavilions taken by Austria, Canada, Denmark, Flanders, New Zealand, and Norway; and large regional pavilions from Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire; Caithness; the East of England; Fife; and the Highlands and Islands and Orkney; as well as individual exhibiting companies from home and overseas.

“Of course the basic statistics alone don’t tell the full tale. This is where our exhibitor survey helps us enormously. We were delighted that 90% of exhibitors rated the show as successful/very successful; 85% were satisfied/very satisfied with the number of visitors with high ratings too for the quality of visitors (75% rated them as good/very good) and interestingly 65% believed that the conference helped to attract quality visitors to the show.

Packed conference days
There were some 220 speakers taking part in the two-day conference. Opening morning saw the Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen welcome participants to ‘The Energy City’ and keynote addresses by Malcolm Wicks MP, Minister of State for Energy (in the session dealing with 2020 EU targets); Jim Mather, the Scottish Government Minister for Enterprise, Energy & Tourism; Ian Marchant, Chief Executive of Scottish and Southern Energy; John Westwood, chairman of Douglas-Westwood Ltd and Reijo Kemppinen, Head of the European Commission’s Representation in the UK.

Project director, Judith Patten, who has particular responsibility for the conference, explains: “Following a packed plenary session on Day One parallel sessions dealt with Policy – countdown to EU 2020 targets; Peak oil and the $100 barrel – the effect on renewables; Skills – getting her right people; offshore wind; low carbon buildings and microgeneration (residential); The UK’s renewables solutions and market prospects – accessing the business opportunities; Bioenergy – biomass and biofuels; Especially for the farming community; Renewables for communities; H208 – Spotlight on Scotland: developments in hydrogen and fuel cells in Scotland; H208 – international activity; and a Health and Safety Workshop.

“The first day ended with a Networking Reception (sponsored by Hamilton Consultants) in the Daily Telegraph sponsored Jobs Zone of the show; this was followed by the now-traditional Civic Reception hosted by The Lord Provost and the City of Aberdeen; and then the Giant Networking Evening (rated as successful/very successful by 79% of exhibitors) with its fairground theme and networking tables.

“Day Two of the conference opening with a compelling plenary session featuring Dr David Clarke, Chief Executive, Energy Technologies Institute; Anne Quinn, Managing Director, Riverstone Holdings LLC; Dale Seymour, Deputy Secretary – Energy, Resources and Major Projects, Department of Primary Industries, State of Victoria, Australia; Kenichi Suganuma, Consul General of Japan; and Tavish Scott MSP, Convener, Economy, Energy & Tourism Committee, Scottish Parliament. A packed day of parallel sessions then followed.

“These covered Wave and tidal – and osmotic power; Power Scotland – challenges and opportunities: creating economic value from the mitigation of climate change; Carbon capture and storage; Powering the built environment (non-residential); Supply chain issues; Onshore wind – planning and issues for development; The road to commercialisation; Grid and network issues; From rain to gain (hydro); a second set of H208 sessions looking at more Scottish and international developments; and Country briefings by some of the Inward Mission countries. There were also updates on Danish and Canadian activities in the exhibitor presentation theatre – as well as presentations by a number of exhibitors.”

Strong support
Aberdeen City and Shire was the host sponsor of All-Energy ’08, which was held in association with the British Wind Energy Association, Scottish Renewables and the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group; with The Society for Underwater Technology as its learned society patron and Innovative Windpower and Masdar as Platinum Sponsors and The Carbon Trust as a Gold Sponsor.

The show was endorsed by nearly thirty key organisations involved with all aspects of renewable energy ranging from BERR – the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform/ UKTI – United Kingdom Trade & Investment, and the Scottish Government, to Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and a raft of trade associations and professional institutions involved with every aspect of energy reflected by the All-Energy exhibition and conference. Representatives of many of these organisations acted as champions for specific conference sessions ensuring their topicality and relevance to all sections of the industry.

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