American Oil and Gas Reporter - July 2020 - 31

the ability to access sessions on demand
would be key. Those who could not
attend a live session said they would
watch a recording later, when it fit into
their schedule.
With hundreds of employees being
furloughed amid the market decline, we
knew member companies were watching
budgets closely. Offering an online conference allowed us to dramatically reduce
registration costs. We found that we could
deliver the convenience of on-demand
content, coupled with an affordable cost
to pass on to our attendees a lower registration rate.
Strong Content
With any conference, content is king,
but a high standard is even more vital in
a virtual event. The Energy Summit this
year has gone the extra mile to address
the most provocative topics facing industry
in Colorado and beyond.
Last year, the Colorado General Assembly passed the most sweeping legislation directed at the oil and natural gas
industry in 60 years. SB19-181 has
spawned more than a dozen rule makings,
leaving no corner of oil and gas operations
untouched. Even with the quarantines
and closures forced by COVID-19, these
regulatory hearings continue to move forward, making it essential for industry
employees to understand the key changes
where new regulations intersect with their
daily work.
The first day of programming addresses
provocative topics. The opening session
is "Climate and Public Health-How to
Unpack, Understand and Disseminate
Data." With climate and public health
grabbing headlines, industry employees
need to understand the studies that often
land on the front page and how sometimes
conflicting data is communicated to and
interpreted by the public.
"The Art of Public Messaging" takes

that theme one step further, discussing
not only the facts, but also the importance
of message and framing. "The challenges
we experience in Colorado are not unique
to us. They are part of a national and

"We all need to get more adept
at talking about the value of the
oil and gas industry in our lives,
while also acknowledging the
public's concerns."
Kelly Muldoon
Ursa Operating Company LLC

global conversation, and we all need to
get more adept at talking about the value
of the oil and gas industry in our lives,
while also acknowledging the public's
concerns," says Kelly Muldoon, vice
president of land and business development at Ursa Operating Company LLC,
who co-chairs the Energy Summit Steering Committee.
The second day of programs takes
aim at the unintended outcomes associated
with ongoing rule-making processes.
With regulatory agencies increasingly
the focus of public testimony and input,
emerging technology often is submitted
as a solution to achieving desired outcomes. "The Intersection of Regulation
and Technology" explores technology's
role in shaping regulations, offering
insight on how to discern when it is appropriate for a rule to reference technology
and when doing so creates overly-prescriptive regulations that hinder operators'
ability to achieve regulatory goals through
more effective means.
Achieving balance-and drawing boundaries-also will be discussed in "Turning
Conflict into Opportunity-Resolving Oil
and Gas Conflicts Between Local, State

and Federal Governments." Peter Mueller,
co-founder of EcoVapor Recovery Systems
and second-year co-chair of the Energy
Summit Steering Committee, expresses
excitement about this session.
"Managing competing agendas is not
exclusively an oil and gas issue, and not
the only topic where local, state and
federal agencies may disagree on areas
of authority. But there is an opportunity
for us as an industry to be a leader in
those conversations and inform the process
with both data and experience," he says.
"The key is to do so in the right forum
and at the right time."
Other sessions explore commodity
pricing, the employment market and the
2020 election.
Promoting Connections
Each day, Energy Summit attendees
will have their pick of several live,
guided networking sessions focused on
discussion topics inspired by conference
content. Live groups will be limited to
25 attendees and will have a facilitator
to ensure a fluid and engaging conversation. Attendees also can connect with
conference sponsors through an interactive sponsor hall and live Q&As with
panelists throughout both days.
"The online conference's advantage
is flexibility," Haley reflects. "Every year,
attendees come to the conference for
different reasons. Some want to go deep
on the technical conversation in the general sessions, others learn more through
less formal networking and the majority
learn best by combining those experiences.
Attendees can choose their own adventure
at the Energy Summit this year, prioritizing the live topics and discussions
they want to participate directly in, while
still having access to all content on-demand during the conference and for several weeks after."
r

SARA
REYNOLDS

Sara Reynolds is the Colorado Oil & Gas Association's vice president of operations and
director of the Energy Summit. Before joining COGA, she was executive director of Housing
Colorado, a membership-based association serving the affordable housing industry, where
she secured funding and support for housing development throughout the state and completed
several communications and research initiatives. Prior to Housing Colorado, Reynolds
served as membership services manager for the Colorado Municipal League.
JULY 2020 31

American Oil and Gas Reporter - July 2020

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