News
24 June 2016

Platinum Perspective – Paul Ladner, Vice-President Marketing, UGI International

 

  1. Forum Voice: Thank you for taking the time to talk to Forum Voice. Could you tell us what attracted you to becoming a platinum sponsor of this major event?

UGI generally sponsors at a platinum level in countries where we operate LPG businesses, and yet we do not operate a business in Türkiye. However, Türkiye's role as a significant LPG country, and the Turkish government’s strong support of our product, are both vital to the worldwide LPG industry and the branding of LPG. As a result it is important for us as a company to show our support of the Turkish industry, in addition to supporting the important work of both the WLPGA and AEGPL.

 

  1.  Forum Voice: What are your thoughts on the key opportunities for LPG in Türkiye and the region?

As UGI doesn’t operate in Türkiye, my comments, as an outsider, on LPG opportunities in Türkiye would be that the Turkish industry has done a marvelous job in growing the Autogas segment and that as an industry we do not showcase that enough. There is an expression that it is better not to reinvent the wheel; so as Türkiye clearly is one of the big Autogas wheels worldwide, what can we as an industry do to copy and paste that success in other countries? How can we as an industry take advantage of Türkiye as a successful example to better educate our stakeholders?

 

  1.  Forum Voice: Why should delegates attend the event?

For the learning, networking and motivation. You will hear from expert speakers from around the world discussing topics near and dear to your heart. You will have the opportunity to visit key vendors or perhaps develop relationships with new vendors. And if you are like me, you will leave the Forum re-energised about the present and future of the LPG industry. The ROI for your “investment” will be quick and the actionable takeaways plentiful.

 

  1. Forum Voice: What are you most looking forward to in Istanbul?

The Global Technology Conference on Monday looks particularly interesting and insightful, as does the last session on Thursday that discusses leadership and learning. It is also always enjoyable to peruse the exhibition hall, meet with vendors and learn about the products that can make our company safer, more efficient and more profitable.

And as first time visitors to Istanbul, my wife and I look forward to discovering the many cultural and historical highlights of this exciting city.