American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2019 - 36

COGA Engages State's Energy Future
By Dan Larson
Special Correspondent
DENVER-The seismic shift in Colorado's political landscape is bringing
sweeping changes to its oil and gas regulations. As a result, the state's largest oil
and natural gas trade association is adapting its annual conference to ensure its
members stay informed, the group's leaders say. Believing new regulations hold
the potential for far-reaching impacts on
oil and gas companies, they say their top
priority is producing an annual Colorado
Oil and Gas Association forum that is
both educational and relevant.
This year's conference theme is "Powering Forward-Engaging Our Energy Future." Dan Haley, COGA president and
chief executive officer, says that is a very
apt description of what is planned for the
31st annual COGA Energy Summit,
scheduled for Aug. 26-28 at Denver's
Colorado Convention Center.
"With all that has happened in Colorado
over the past year, from the defeat of
Proposition 112, the minimum setback
initiative last fall to passage of SB 181 in
the spring, our members want to know
what the future will look like," he says.
Also known as the "Protect Public Welfare,
Oil and Gas Operations Act," SB 181
triggers a two-year series of rule makings
to revise much of the state's Oil and Gas
Conservation Act, from a shakeup of the
Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to granting greater authority to
local governments.
In addition to the latest insights into
the political landscape as an opener for
the summit, COGA says it has invited
Governor Jared Polis to discuss Colorado's
energy future.
The political dynamics in Colorado are
weighing on operators and challenging
them to adapt, argues Rich Frommer, chairman of the COGA Board of Directors.
"This is a critical year for our industry,"
observes Frommer, president and CEO at
Great Western Oil & Gas Co., headquartered
in Denver. "I am very impressed with the
team at COGA and all the work they have
done this year. I also appreciate how our
peer companies have pulled together to
collaborate and overcome the challenges
of this changing political environment.
"In the post-SB 181 world, we face an
even greater challenge because of the depth
and breadth of multiple rule makings over
a period of only a few months," he says.
"This is going to be quite a heavy lift."
36 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

New Format For New Challenges
Amid the political dynamics, the opposition's grandstanding and constant
roiling of the energy markets, COGA
says it has looked to members, conference attendees and sponsors for guidance
on how to evolve the conference to meet
these new challenges. Recognizing the
evolving expectations for today's business meetings, stiff competition from
companies that specialize in producing
conferences and trade shows, and other
opportunities throughout the year to
match specific technologies with oil
and gas segments, COGA reports its
Board has approved a change in the
format of this year's Energy Summit.
"For the past few years, we found that
the conference expo was not meeting the
needs of vendors and attendees," says
Sara Reynolds, COGA vice president of
operations. After much discussion with
the Board, a decision was made to discontinue the vendor exposition portion
of the Energy Summit, she says.
"We are looking at other targeted
marketing opportunities throughout the
year. Based on what we have seen at
events such as our annual meeting in
the fall and our Member Spotlight and
COGA Connects lunches, we believe
we can help vendors and the people
who want to underwrite these events to
reach their target audiences," Reynolds
poses. "There is greater benefit for our
members and sponsors if we provide
continuous opportunities throughout the
year versus a one-and-done component
at the Energy Summit."
The Energy Summit always has been
an event that provides high-level perspectives on vital issues facing Colorado's oil and gas industry, Reynolds
says, adding that it also plays an important role in providing opportunities
for members to reacquaint with their
peers and stay abreast of business and
political affairs.
Facilitated Networking
COGA long has recognized that the
expo's vendor-lined aisles were where
members networked with each other and
conferred with suppliers. To ensure those
networking opportunities are continued
and strengthened, the summit will feature
additional networking breaks, some of
which will be facilitated, to spur conversations.
"Some of these breaks will be informal
while others will focus on specific topics,"

Reynolds describes. "For example, one
break will feature the Women's Energy
Network, where members can meet the
board, learn about their programs and
how they can support women leadership
in energy."
Another networking break will include
a question-and-answer session with a
group of state legislators, like the popular
session at the 2018 summit. "It will be
an improved opportunity to hear from
their state legislators and ask them questions directly," Reynolds notes.
Facilitated networking breaks start
with a moderator "asking a few thoughtprovoking questions and then we see
where the conversation goes with 30 or
40 people in the room," she observes.
"Many of us are not good at walking
up to someone and introducing ourselves,"
Haley adds. "This format will help start
those conversations."
Reynolds says the association is seeking
to add some structure to informal discussions of important topics, pointing out
"Adding a little guidance should help
bring people into the conversation. You
have to stay nimble in organizing these
conferences and be willing to try new
things that improve the overall attendee
experience. A business conference in
2019 should look and feel different than
a business conference that was held in
2009. The needs and wants of the attendee
are continually maturing"
Within the past decade, trade conferences have changed in terms of expectations, expenses and relevance, she recalls,
and for COGA, the expo portion of its
annual event saw diminishing importance.
"The summit has evolved from a technology-driven event to one more focused
on complicated policy issues, industry
engagement around those issues, and of
course, education," Reynolds says.
"Colorado is the tip-of-the-spear. What
takes place here resonates throughout the
industry. We are leading the nation in
terms of how these political issues are
impacting our business. All eyes are on
us and the structure of this conference
reflects that importance," she adds.
Works For Weld
The clearest reflection of the changes
now being felt by Colorado operators are
the steps taken by local governments to
position themselves for the future. As
some local governments moved quickly
to pass moratoria on new oil and gas development, commissioners in Weld Coun-

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