In her introduction, APIA Chief Executive Cheryl Cartwright ignited debate, which continued through the evening – did the previous Pipeline Operators Group dinners count? Was there an event many years ago in APIA’s more formative days? The results of those discussions were inconclusive – but the verdict was in: APIA is in demand in Sydney.
A capacity crowd gathered at the Sydney Harbour Marriott for the dinner. Sponsored by CNC Project Management and AJ Lucas, the dinner was a successor to drinks functions that have been held in Sydney in previous years.
BlueScope Steel’s Bernie Landy was the guest speaker for the evening, providing a presentation entitled “˜The global steel industry: an Australian perspective’. The overview looked at BlueScope’s involvement in steel; its capacity and how that compared to other players in the world; and, the global issues impacting on the steel industry and steel prices.
One major change that Mr Landy highlighted in the industry involved the top companies that produce steel worldwide. In 2003, there was only one Chinese company in the top ten steel producers worldwide. By 2009 this had risen to five Chinese companies in the top ten – a massive jump in just six years. He also outlined what he described as the global iron ore price revolution, and explained that steel price volatility was likely to increase.
The wide array of companies and people in attendance created an atmosphere that was conducive for networking. With the success of this year’s event, it is likely that APIA will continue the dinner format in Sydney in 2011.