NOF Energy

Breaking the association mould

Consider the trade association as we know it. Amongst those activities which immediately spring to mind, we count email blasts, newsletters and press statements as the norm. But how many have you come across that visit members daily and help them to diversify, expand internationally and cater every single service to their ever-changing demands?

NOF Energy, headquartered from the North East of the United Kingdom, is far from being the average notion of a trade association. What began as an oil and gas trade body 21 years ago, is now a business development organisation which services nuclear and offshore wind for some 350 members spread throughout the country. NOF Energy decided to go national around five years ago, and today, it hears from Joanne Leng, NOF’s Deputy Chief Executive, about what it really takes to break the association mould and generate business opportunities, communications support, revenue and more for members.

A surge in UK demand

Leng says that the growth and development that has allowed NOF Energy to become what it is today began with increasing market demand for the services and expertise offered by the association’s members, not just in the UK, but internationally also.

“What we found over the years is that the UK oil and gas supply chain is well-renowned throughout the world for the technologies, the expertise, the approach to new solutions for the industry,” she says.

“Using those strengths, those capabilities, we were able to transfer them to the new and emerging sectors in the UK in terms of nuclear new builds and to offshore wind. The skills and technologies are transferrable across the sectors.”

As this led to adding other cross-sectors to NOF Energy’s energy-serving membership base, the association’s primary concern—to support its members—remained.

“About 50 per cent of these members are still based in the North East of England because that’s where our roots are, but we also have a lot of companies in key energy regions of the UK such as Aberdeen and the Yorkshire Humber region, for example,” Leng says.

“The business support services we provide aim to win new business for companies and help them to identify new contacts within the industry so that they can work with new clients whether they be the operators, contractors or large service companies. We also have a role to play in promoting these companies to the energy industry both in the UK and internationally.”

An association is only as good as its membership benefits, and NOF Energy’s three main benefits of membership cement its existence within any company’s reason to join.

“Networking and Events is one of our most successful services. We organise events from the really small on a one-to-one basis, up to the large networking lunches which attract up to 200 (people),” Leng explains.

“The main benefit for companies to attend these is not just to listen to clients making their presentations on their projects and new business opportunities within the sectors, but it’s actually the networking part of what we do. Our events bring a whole new meaning to the word networking.”

Akin to bridging a communications gap and putting NOF Energy companies in touch with whoever they may require, the organisation is a strong proponent and facilitator of member-to-member business; another central service offering carried out both within the UK and further afield.

“On a daily basis, we’re either picking up the phone or emailing companies and encouraging them to talk to each other, to inter-trade, to exchange best practise and information—basically to help each other and work together within the industry,” Leng says.

“On the international business side we’re very active overseas. We take companies overseas to various markets which are a priority.”

Add to this NOF Energy’s marketing and media service which enables the smaller members to best showcase their technical capabilities, and it becomes clear that whether you are a one-man operation or an international operator, NOF Energy will deliver your message and your business right to where you ought to be.

Going international with NOF Energy

Amongst the overseas visits NOF Energy has already chaperoned for its members in 2010, the company counts Trinidad, South Africa and Spain.

“Coming up this year we have Norway, Houston (Texas), Kazakhstan, Libya, Australia, and Brazil to name but a few,” Leng adds.

“One of the markets we took members to last year, which we’ve been doing for the last two or three years, is Libya. It’s a big area of opportunity for our members and there’s a big demand there for UK products and services, in particular education and training within the oil and gas industry.”

NOF Energy has recently returned from a trip to Kazakhstan where the organisation, accompanied by 30 members, allowed its companies to gain vital exposure to this exciting market.

“It’s a challenging market but because the opportunities there are so huge it is one which cannot be ignored,” Leng says.

“We work with a consultancy who specialise in the market of Kazakhstan. They know the region inside-out, they know the clients and they know how to do business.”

With the excursion complete, market insight gained and introductions made, the work for NOF Energy on behalf of its members is still far from over.
“We make sure that when we take these companies overseas we provide support not just before and  during the visit, but afterwards when they have to think seriously about market entry and start  looking for a local partner in Kazakhstan and finding facilities on the ground,” Leng explains.

“We make sure that we keep that relationship with them over the long-term to help them progress.”

This goal to aid progression is proven by the results that NOF Energy has already achieved for its members.

Proven partnership success

Leng excitedly reveals that NOF Energy has undergone a recently completed three-year independent evaluation, and the results really do speak for themselves.
“That actually shows that we’ve generated about £75 million of business for members over the last three years through the services we provide, and one of the ways we found out about this impact is by being in touch with our members on a regular basis,” she says.

“We’re always out and face-to-face with members to understand their business requirements, what they need in terms of support and where the challenges lie. Then we adapt our services to suit so that the support we provide has the right impact.”

Herein lays NOF Energy’s strategic goal: to continue to offer effective business support services, enjoying positive impact from these and as Leng keenly emphasises, to “make sure members are getting value for money.”

NOF Energy’s story is unusual from the outset; a 21 year-old regionally established organisation which is well-established, yet capable of adapting to more recent market demand, entering new echelons of the energy industry and forging fortuitous ties on an international level for its members. That personal touch combined with a member-centric, forward-thinking approach to generating international opportunities makes NOF Energy a truly unique association.

www.nofenergy.co.uK

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