Baker Hughes annual meeting gets underway with a flourish

(WO) - A well-executed Opening Gala Reception kicked off this year’s Baker Hughes Annual Meeting in Florence, Italy, highlighted by extensive product displays, welcoming remarks from the city and company, operatic entertainment, and some fine local food. The by-invitation-only annual meeting runs through Tuesday and takes place in a combination of the old central railway station, Stazione Leopolda, and Florence’s relatively new opera house, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Theater.

Welcoming exhibits and remarks. Upon arriving at the Stazione Leopolda venue, attendees at the 2-hr-plus event were treated to significant exhibits of all of Baker Hughes traditional oil and gas product lines, as well as displays of new energy lines focused on things like CCUS and hydrogen. About a half-hour deep into the Gala, the operatic program kicked off in the Theater. Welcoming remarks were delivered by Florence Mayor Dario Nardella (Fig. 1) and Baker Hughes Chairman, President and CEO Lorenzo Simonelli, Fig. 2.

Fig. 1. Florence Mayor Dario Nardella describes the importance of the Baker Hughes Annual Meeting to his city.

Fig. 2. Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli talks about his firm’s achievements in the last year and where things are headed.

Nardella described the close relationship that Florence has had with Baker Hughes and what it means to the area’s economy. Simonelli detailed how helpful the city’s embrace has been to his company and how this has influenced and encouraged the great technical progress made by his firm on several fronts.

Musical performances. Those remarks were followed by the musical part of the evening, featuring some fine performances by several operatic singers. However, the highlight of the night might have been the fine performance by local children’s choir, “Coro Voci Bianche del Teatro Maggio di Firenze,” Fig. 3. Composed of kids aged approximately 8 to 15, the choir performed roughly seven to eight songs, some of which they sang on their own, guided by their adult leader, and a few that were in tandem with one of the adult operatic singers. Their well-executed effort was received by the audience with a standing ovation at the end.

Fig. 3. Children’s choir, Coro Voci Bianche del Teatro Maggio di Firenze,” peforms during the operatic program.

Following the musical entertainment, attendees were able again to peruse the many technology displays, along with sampling copious amounts of local cuisine, Fig. 4. Judging from the comments this editor heard, the company’s own professionals, as well as invited industry guests, were well-satisfied with the evening’s event.

Fig. 4. Attendees of the opening gala sample examples of local cuisine while perusing technology exhibits and networking.

Two full days of sessions. The Baker Hughes Annual Meeting continues on Monday with its first of two full days of plenary and keynote speakers, as well as panel discussions and technical sessions. Examples of well-known speakers delivering remarks are H.R.H. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud, Minister of Energy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; H.E. Dr. Saad Hamad Al Barrak, Former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Oil and Minister of State for Economic & Investment Affairs, Kuwait, and Executive Chairman, ILA Group; Abdulkarim A. Al-Ghamdi, Executive Vice President, Gas, Saudi Aramco; Gordon Birrell, Executive Vice President of Production & Operations, BP; Ahmet Berat Conkar, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Turkey; Brad Crabtree, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, U.S. Department of Energy; Jack Fusco, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cheniere Energy; Paul Marsden President, Bechtel Energy; Adriano Mongini, CEO, Azule Energy; Alessandro Puliti; CEO & General Manager, Saipem S.p.A; Toby Rice, President & CEO, EQT; Mike Sommers, President & CEO, American Petroleum Institute; Nicolas Terraz, President of Exploration & Production, TotalEnergies; and Adif Zulkifli, Executive Vice President & CEO Upstream, PETRONAS.