On behalf of EAGE, I am very happy to welcome the geoscience and engineering community to Amsterdam. This is where EAGE has hosted so many very successful meetings since the foundation of our Association in 1951. Amsterdam ‘14 is surely destined to follow in this tradition. The only difference from earlier events is that EAGE itself has grown impressively in membership and global reach, even since the last Amsterdam Conference & Exhibition in 2009. In 2014 we will be staging the largest multi-disciplinary geoscience and engineering oriented event of its kind in the world. This is not only reflected in the scope of topics to be covered in the technical programme, currently in preparation, and in the tremendous interest once again being shown by exhibitors. It is also evidenced by the remarkable schedule of supporting activities, all designed to meet the needs and concerns of our professionals and their disciplines. For example, the sheer variety of workshops, short courses and field trips provide an unrivalled opportunity to learn and share knowledge and real-life experience. These events are also now scheduled at the beginning and end of the week. The opening session and a number of executive type forums will again allow us to address some of the wider issues that the oil and gas industry in particular has to confront. In this context I am pleased to welcome the second ‘Women in Geoscience and Engineering session which offers an open discussion on how our business can be made more accessible at every level to professional women who continue to be very much in the minority. I am also very proud of our ever-expanding and innovative student programme which is now a substantial event in its own right. This is how it should be as one of our biggest priorities as an Association must be to recruit and nurture young talent, and the industry sponsors who encourage these initiatives have to be thanked. When staging an event in a great cultural and historic capital such as Amsterdam, it is almost superfluous to mention our social programme including our customary very special conference evening, but we know how important these less formal occasions are for the overall success of the event. So, let’s just say, we are all lucky to be able to ‘Experience the Energy’ next June in a great setting with conference excellence. I personally look forward to greeting you there.