Energy conferences, exhibitions and publications are increasingly playing a pivotal role in connecting stakeholders in the industry to facilitate discussion, change and progress. This is according to Devi Paulsen, Managing Director of Spintelligent, a pioneering publisher and conference organiser in the energy, utilities and water sectors, that will have a strong presence at the COP17 meeting on Climate Change which starts in Durban, South Africa on 28 November.

Spintelligent, a South African-based company that is part of the global conference giant, Clarion Events, is the organiser of record- and groundbreaking energy industry forums such as African Utility Week, Hydropower Africa, the East African Power Industry Convention (EAPIC) and the West African Power Industry Convention (WAPIC). The company also produces the leading trade publications and portals: Metering International, ESI Africa and Mining Review Africa.Industry needs visionaries and pioneersSays Devi Paulsen: "the world of utilities and energy is surely one of the most exciting places to be at this time: It is right on the cutting edge of technology, and it is transitioning irrevocably how energy and water is delivered and used to a more sustainable future." She warns, however, that is it not for the faint hearted: "it is hugely costly, it is changing the traditional relationships between stakeholders, and it needs visionaries and pioneers to lead the industry into the unknown and to take the knocks that inevitably will ensue.""For more than 15 years, Spintelligent has been building, sharing, connecting and thinking about the business sectors we serve," says the company's MD, "our industry-leading media products – publications, online portals, conferences, exhibitions, industry reports – enable us to share knowledge and insights, build relationships and deliver real business value to our customers and stakeholders, from the public to the private sectors."COP17 onsite contact: Chanelle Hingston: ++27 76 809 6665Stand number: 102, Exhibition Marquee Umhlosinga Fever Tree Acacia xanthoploea (ENERGY)