ONS Norway has been cancelled.
The Stavanger-based ONS Foundation blames low oil prices, low activity and great uncertainty in the industry have meant that too few exhibitors have registered for the show, which was to have been staged in August, just weeks before Offshore Europe.
The foundation said that the exhibitor registration was good until early in the year before it stagnated. There have also recently been a number of cancellations by companies that are struggling.
“Too few exhibitors means that we cannot create a meeting place with the famous ONS quality that exhibitors expect and deserve. We must take the consequences,” said chief executive Leif Johan Sevland, a former mayor of Stavanger.
He said exhibitors and other parties involved have been informed of the cancellation. Registration and stand fees will be refunded to the registered exhibitors. They will also be offered space at ONS 2016, which is the main Offshore Northern Seas show and spiritual sister to Offshore Europe.
ONS Norway was launched in 2012 targeting August 2013 for the first event, which was designed as a filler geared to the local market, though it caused both confusion and anger within Norway’s offshore industry at the time.
“We know that the event would have been very good,” insisted Sveland. “The conference themes were in place, and we had several new elements that would have drawn many visitors. But we also need many exhibitors to create a good meeting place. We’ve done everything we could to get exhibitors, but the situation in the market is unfortunately beyond our control.
“For ONS 2016 we see no lack of interest at the present stage. With the exception of 2014 we have never before seen the booking numbers we are currently seeing for ONS,” says Sevland.
“The ONS team is now looking towards ONS 2016 and will be working hard to develop the event further. Their goal is to make it an even better meeting place, and that includes the supply industry.”
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