Oil&nonoil 2010: an Event of Increasing Magnitude
Oil&nonoil (Modena, 9-11 May 2010) has become a vital appointment for businesses in the fuel industry and providers of services and solutions for cars and drivers. The event continues to attract a sizable presence of car care and alternative fuel operators. The Russian oil giant Lukoil is to exhibit in Hall C. The new S&TC show has already attracted notable interest. The programme of forums, seminars and workshops is impressive.
At just three months before it opens its doors (ModenaFiere, 9-11 May 2010), the fourth edition of Oil&nonoil-Carwash, Alternative Fuel, Downstream and Service has just made an important announcement: the giant Russian oil giant Lukoil will be exhibiting in Hall C. The event is showcasing cutting-edge products, featuring energy saving and environmental friendly content, as well as addressing a myriad of issues that are topical in the industry: expansion of non-oil business, opportunity for alternative fuels, modernisation and upgrading of service stations to service centres for vehicles and the traveller, presence of large-scale distribution and more still. It is like a mosaic that is being pieced together, but one that can already provide a complete overview of a changing industry that is sensitive to new trends.
Non-oil developments and new names
"We must give service station owners the opportunity to branch out into non oil products," commented Stefano Saglia, Italy's state secretary for economic development when speaking about the measures being taken to modernise fuel retail network and service stations. Over the past few months this seems to have moved from being an idea into a fully-fledged program and the development of non oil activities has increasingly been pinpointed as the way forward by "promoting" service station owners to authentic businessmen.
There is a strong movement across the board for radical change regarding current legislation and the relationships and checks and balances that exist in the industry.
The news is that 42% of sales outlets in the fuel retail network are now owned by independent operators who in the past eight years have bought almost 2,000 service stations from the petrol companies while in the past five years about 2,000 new stations have been built.
An estimated 600 of the investors who have been involved in making these new projects a reality are newcomers to this market.
The energy and drive of these network operators has gone hand in hand with the arrival of the Russian company Lukoil.
Lukoil makes no bones about its ambitions to become a major player in both the fuel retail network, planning to reach 1,000 stations, and in the non-fuel and refinery industries (it has purchased 49% of the Isab refinery).
The company has its own ideas about what a service station should offer and is planning to introduce some innovative new concepts.
Hardly surprising when we consider that the development of new activities and the ability to provide new services are among the various possible answers to the growing presence of large retail chains in the fuel network. A recent sentence by Italy's Council of State also reached beyond the network by endorsing the station operator's right to sell tobacco.
Confirmation and growth
In 2008 Oil&nonoil was located in two pavilions and occupied 12,000 sq.m of floor space hosting 140 stands and welcoming over 5,000 visitors from the industry. The fourth edition will take over three halls and is well set to improve on the numbers of its last outing.
Nor is this a question of being overly optimistic: at a time when the recession is hitting the trade fair sector particularly hard, this event continues to grow and has recorded an 11% increase in the number of exhibitors confirming their return.
The car care industry makes up the bulk of these (almost all carwash equipment manufacturers have already confirmed they will be taking part) but the show will also provide a panorama of a multi-faceted production sector including alternative fuels, petrol pumps, tanks, service stations, health and safety devices and vending machines.
New solutions for S&TC (fuel storage and transportation)
The fuel storage and transportation fair (S&TC) will take place alongside Oil&nonoil. This is the first Italian trade fair designed exclusively for enterprises engaged in this business field and the technology and systems that ensure fuel and inflammable liquids arrive safely and efficiently at their destination; from the refinery to the service station storage tanks via storage depots, tanker loading bays and delivery.
Each link in this chain has its own special functions each using hi-tech systems and devices to ensure safety, efficiency, precision and respect for the laws prevailing within the industry.
Many leading firms have signed up for the event and a full calendar of meetings to discuss issue of importance for the industry has already been scheduled.
Workshops, seminars and conventions
The staff at Tandem Comunicazione, the company that handles the events are particularly intent on organising the workshops, seminars and conventions in the wake of the success of the meetings at Oil&nonoil Sud and the healthy number of visitors that attended the 2008 edition, when 800 industry insiders took part in 18 "information and training" seminars.
Special attention will be paid at the fourth edition of Oil&nonoil to the workshops being organised by the companies taking part. Three halls are being prepared to welcome convention organizers, which will be equipped to handle a series of seminars contemporarily.
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