Earlier this year the Altoona-Blair County Development Corp. (ABCD Corp.) formed the Blair County Marcellus Shale Committee in order to assist our local companies that could benefit from being part of the supply chain for the Marcellus and Utica Shale Plays. From those initial meetings it was determined that one of the most pressing issues is for education and networking opportunities to be held here in the Blair County region.
In response to the committee’s recommendations, ABCD Corp. in conjunction with the Blair County Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a seminar for early 2013. The Natural Gas Business Development Seminar will be held from 7:30 am – 12:30 pm at the Blair County Convention Center on Tuesday, January 22, 2013. The event is limited to the first 125 registrants, and the fee to attend is $85 per person.
“Our staff has been working for months to find the best speakers, content and networking opportunities for our valued regional companies,” said Marty Marasco, President/CEO of ABCD Corp. “This event will hopefully be the first of many events to assist our companies in benefiting from the historic opportunities presented in the Marcellus and Utica Shale Plays.”
This event is being planned through Penn State University and ShaleDirectories.com who have successfully hosted similar events throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania. The event will feature presentations and networking opportunities by procurement professionals from a minimum of one producer and one service company. There will be opportunities to ask questions and interact during the presentations, and all speakers will remain after the event concludes to provide everyone a networking opportunity.
Below is our current proposed agenda for the day:
• Marcellus and Utica Shale Update — Matt Henderson, PSU
• Oil and Gas Industry Supply Chain — Jim Ladlee, PSU
• REX Energy (requested, speaker TBD)
• 5-Steps to Success in Shale — Joe Barone ShaleDirectories.com
• Safety Culture/MSA Agreements/Insurance — Aaron Black, East Coast Risk Management and Darlyn McDermott, Keystone Shale Solutions
• Halliburton – Daniel Etter, Northeast US Operations Procurement Manager (requested)
• Local Company Panel
To register for this event, please go to www.blairalliance.org/marcellus or contact the Blair County Chamber of Commerce directly at 814-943-8151. Please remember that registration is on a first-come first-serve basis and limited to 125 attendees.
