• LNG 18 Conference expected to inject $45 million into the local economy
• Perth previously hosted LNG 12 in 1998 and is the only destination to be granted hosting rights a second time

The eyes of the world’s oil and gas industry will focus on Perth next month when 5,000 people are expected to take part in the prestigious 18th International Conference and Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas, or LNG 18.

Premier and State Development Minister Colin Barnett said LNG 18 was the biggest international event to be held in the city since the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth in 2011 and the largest industry conference ever to be hosted in WA.

“LNG 18 is expected to deliver $45 million in benefits to the State’s economy,” Mr Barnett said.

“It will be a significant boon to the hospitality and tourism industry with the number of hotel bookings equivalent to 2,300 nights at a value of about $6 million.  The week of the conference will be an opportunity for Perth to shine in the international spotlight.

“Conference delegates, of whom 68 per cent are from overseas, will attend a dinner function on April 14 overlooking the Swan River at Sir James Mitchell Park, and will dine on the best of Western Australian produce.”

The Premier will join Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the Welcome Reception on April 11.

“The event comes at a challenging time for the LNG industry, but also an ideal time for industry leaders to meet and discuss innovation, competitiveness and technology,” he said.

“The conference also comes at the perfect time for WA, as our LNG industry reaches a new phase of maturity following the start-up of the Gorgon project this month. With the Wheatstone project also set to start production within the year, the State is soon to become one of the world’s leading jurisdictions for LNG production.”

The Government has supported a number of community engagement events coinciding with the conference, including an LNG-themed school holiday program in Forrest Place, a careers forum for high school students, and an ‘Unearthed’ innovation event to solve real-world industry problems.

Mr Barnett congratulated all involved in bringing the event together, including Government agencies, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Perth Convention Bureau and City of Perth.

“The size of this event has made it a significant logistical challenge, requiring the construction of temporary infrastructure at the PCEC site to accommodate the large number of delegates and exhibitors,” he said.

Fact File

• LNG 18 runs from April 12-15, with the welcoming function for VIPs on April 11
• The LNGX series holds an LNG conference and exhibition every three years, alternating between exporting and importing countries
• WA’s LNG production capacity will more than double in coming years, rising from 20.6 million tonnes in 2015 to nearly 50 million tonnes in 2018
• For more information, visit http://www.lng18.org