One of the biggest events of the oil and gas industry in the world, Rio Oil & Gas Expo and Conference closed its 17th edition with a positive balance. Organized by the Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute (IBP), this year’s event set a record in the volume of businesses done and in the number of university students attending it, having attracted over 47,000 people to Riocentro.

The Round of Negotiations conducted by the Brazilian National Oil Industry Organization (ONIP), in partnership with Sebrae (Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service), generated an expectation of business of BRL 164 million for the next 12 months, a record if we consider all editions of Rio Oil & Gas. During two days, 828 meetings were held with 176 suppliers and 37 anchor companies.

The Program Profissional do Futuro (Professional of the Future) also grew and broke another record: 3,000 college students attending it, coming from 37 courses and 45 universities of several Brazilian states. Approximately 500 professors led groups of learners to the event.

The schedule of the Conference, which discussed important aspects of the industry, counted on the presentation of 18 panels, 10 special sessions, 5 plenary lectures and 4 luncheons (this year’s novelty in the technical program). Six hundred fifty-two technical papers were also presented in oral sessions and digital posters. In total, the Conference recorded the presence of 3,800 lecturers, arising from 31 countries.

In the exposition, visitors could learn about the main innovations of the sector in the booths of more than one thousand exhibiting companies. Out of these exhibitors, 72 were debuting in the event. The fair also counted on 14 international pavilions, two of them participating in the event for the first time: Singapore and Poland.

Some of the milestones of this edition of Rio Oil & Gas were: the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) announced, in the opening ceremony, the 13th bidding round, to be held in 2015; IBP released the Priority Agenda for the Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Industry, including the main themes of the sector; and IBP and IFP (French Petroleum Institute) entered into an agreement aimed at the specialization of executives in Brazil, with focus on the core demands of the industry in the country, using modern training methodologies.

The event also had a positive effect on Rio de Janeiro’s economy. The hotel occupancy rate in the city increased from 30% to 86% due to Rio Oil & Gas event.

Rio de Janeiro’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, has already ensured that Rio Oil & Gas 2016 will take place in the city. The exact date, however, still has to be confirmed by reason of the disassembly of the Olympic Games structure.