Post Show Wrap-Up: CLEAN GULF 2013

Over 1,800 oil spill prevention & response professionals gathered at the Tampa Convention Center November 12-14 for the 23rd Annual CLEAN GULF Conference & Exhibition.  Each year the event attracts operators, responders and regulators from around the world to discuss best practices, catch up with old friends, and discover the latest technologies. 

CLEAN GULF kicked off on November 12th with pre-conference workshops and a networking golf tournament that benefitted the American Cancer Society.  On Wednesday, the conference kicked off with a Keynote Session delivered by Eric J. McNulty, Research and Professional Programs Director for Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative.  Immediately following was the Mega Session, sponsored by The Response Group, led by a panel of industry experts that discussed where the offshore oil industry is headed and what action the regulatory and response community needs to take moving forward.  The afternoon sessions focused on dispersants, risk assessment as a planning tool, emerging technologies, well containment & cooperative updates, unifying the unified command, case studies, training for excellence, expanding technologies, well containment & control technologies, and aging infrastructure.  A networking reception, sponsored by BP, took place on the exhibit floor to end the first day of the event.  The exhibit floor played host to over 150 companies showcasing their unique technologies and solutions for the spill response industry. 

The last day of the CLEAN GULF Conference & Exhibition began with the State & Federal Updates.  Representatives from Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, U.S. Coast Guard, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and EPA Region 4 discussed the latest information on how to conduct business in the Gulf.  Conference sessions held throughout the day focused on wildlife response management plans, response planning & preparedness, data acquisition & stewardship, subsea dispersants, health & safety, challenging cases for the salvor & the Coast Guard field perspective, international perspectives, lessons-learned, regulatory – emerging issues, logistics, common operating picture & communication, deepwater regulatory issues, and national contingency plan vs. national response framework.

The 24th Annual CLEAN GULF Conference & Exhibition will take place December 2-4, 2014, in San Antonio, Texas.  For more information, visit www.cleangulf.org.