What's in a name? For LAGCOE, more than meets the eye

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What's in a name? For LAGCOE, more than meets the eye

Feb 23, 2016

If you went strictly by our name, Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition (LAGCOE), you’d be missing out on much of what makes LAGCOE important to today’s energy industry.

Louisiana: For 60 years LAGCOE has been held every other year in Lafayette, located in the heart of America’s energy corridor. Today, LAGCOE reaches far beyond the borders of Louisiana. LAGCOE 2015, held Oct. 27-29, welcomed more than 16,400 from 33 countries and 49 states to the Cajundome & Convention Center. Attendees viewed 448 exhibits, eight technical presentations, seven international presentations, and five special events over the three-day period.

Since 2001, there has been a focus on international markets. LAGCOE has been one of only two oil and gas shows in the U.S. to be chosen to participate in the International Buyer Program Select through the U.S. Department of Commerce. In addition to the shows themselves, promotion of industry commerce through regular outreach and networking with international markets has become a regular part of LAGCOE’s year round operations.

Gulf Coast: Once thought of as an offshore only exposition, LAGCOE is actually 50/50 onshore and offshore according to exhibitor and attendee data from 2013. This is one of many examples of LAGCOE adapting to changing industry needs.

Oil: Gas certainly plays a much larger role in today’s energy market than it did in 1955 when LAGCOE began. The growing LNG market in southwest Louisiana is pushing us beyond even traditional oil and gas and towards the term "energy” industry to be more encompassing of all that is going on in both the Louisiana and world markets.

Exposition: Yes, we still put on one of the oldest and largest industry trade shows in the U.S. every other year. But LAGCOE has grown to include a number of other avenues that help us achieve our mission of promoting industry commerce and education for and about the industry.

In 2012, LAGCOE established the LAGCOE Education Fund, a Fund at Community Foundation of Acadiana (CFA). Projects from the fund that serve to educate the public or the industry have included, but are not limited to scholarships, educational presentations, support of STEM schools, public outreach, workforce development programs and career fairs.

The Young Professionals of LAGCOE (YPL) kicked off its first full year in 2013. YPL is a group of individuals from the oil and gas industry with the desire to take action to see the industry grow at a time when the older generation leaving the workforce could leave a void of experience and knowledge in the industry. YPL’s goal is to build their leadership and industry skills to eventually take the reins of LAGCOE and become the industry leaders.