The way the Marriott Corp. has branded its hotel chains is a great example. Each chain is defined according to the type of experience and amenities offered to guests and this is consistent for each one around the world.
After being approved by the many SPE volunteers who serve on the international Board of Directors, SPE has embarked to strengthen the brand of its events by being consistent and clear with their titles. The SPE volunteers wrote the new naming convention policy based on feedback from members that it should be clear from the event title what the technical content is and in which format it will be delivered. You may see some of your favorite events now advertised with a slight change in name, but just changing a word or two to provide clarity will not change the event itself. Being clear with the title will help to attract the right attendees, authors, presenters, and exhibitors.
A major effort with brand identity is ensuring that we are delivering a consistent experience for specific event formats. The following are six event definitions that are the key to strengthening the SPE brand identity. Only the first three definitions are new: conference, symposium, and training course. The other three (forum, workshop, and summit) were approved by the Board in 2007, but are included here for clarity.
SPE Conference: An SPE conference promotes the exchange of technical knowledge primarily through technical paper presentations, which are further disseminated through publication in the conference proceedings and later placed on the OnePetro website. Conferences typically feature an exhibition and are managed by SPE staff.
SPE Symposium: An SPE symposium may not be a fully papered program as the technical program committee can build the sessions from invited presenters and those selected through the call for speakers process, if offered. SPE manuscripts, if any, are disseminated through OnePetro. In many cases, symposia also feature an exhibition and are either managed by SPE staff or by a section that has hired SPE staff for some services, such as call for papers.
SPE Training Course: An SPE training course is one that has been reviewed and approved for technical quality and relevance by the Global Training Committee (GTC). A training course also may be approved by a regional advisory committee or a regional conference planning committee when there is insufficient time for GTC review or there is no intent to offer the course beyond a single event. Continuing education units are offered for completed courses.
SPE Forum: An SPE forum is an invitation-only event that is developed and approved by the Forum Series Coordination Committee to explore a specific and emerging industry challenge not already addressed in existing SPE events. A written summary may be prepared and distributed to the participants after the forum and with unanimous participant agreement at the discretion of the program committee and SPE approval. Forums do not offer a call for papers, published presentations, sponsorships, or exhibitions and are managed by SPE staff.
SPE Workshop: An SPE workshop, also referred to as an applied technology workshop (ATW), features a technical program made up of presentations on a highly focused topic solicited by the program committee. Presentations that have been authorized for release are compiled and released to attendees after the workshop. SPE staff work with sections and regional advisory committees to provide the right number of workshops and relevant topics needed for that particular geographical area.
SPE Summit: An SPE summit is a 1- to 3-day invitation-only event with specific, predefined objectives that are managed by SPE staff. It is a fast-track response to emerging issues, problems, technologies, and strategies of broad significance to the industry. Written records of the discussions and conclusions are published, with the intent of providing a deliverable that benefits the industry and has the potential to lead to further initiatives.
