The AAPG European Office, the Association’s first Region satellite bureau, opened in London, England, with little fanfare in early September.
The office is located in room G22, Royal School of Mines, Department of Earth Science and Engineering at the South Kensington Campus of The Imperial College.
Past AAPG vice president Steve Veal serves as part-time director of the European Office, which is intended to be a model for other Regions.
The London office will serve as a portal to the Association, bringing AAPG closer to its members by providing a local and regional point of contact. Its three operational functions are AAPG services, AAPG products and European Region Council support.
Acting as an extension of AAPG headquarters while also providing logistical support to the European Region Council, the office will work with the Region Council and AAPG headquarters staff to:
- Support conferences and other educational programs.
- Market AAPG products and services.
- Facilitate membership growth within the region.
- Promote AAPG participation in regional geoscience programs.
- Network with AAPG members and affiliate societies within the region.
The college will provide office space to AAPG at no charge for a period of one year, “subject to extension or termination of the agreement, or other adjustment, as mutually agreed upon” by Imperial College and AAPG.
The office space itself contains little more than the essentials -- a desk, two chairs, a file cabinet and bookshelf. But just down the hall the location offers access to a large conference room plus a sizeable training lab equipped with about 25 computers.
A nearby plaque on the door of the training lab acknowledges the donation made by AAPG and the AAPG Foundation that provided seed funding for the training center in 2002, with both giving $50,000.
AAPG will provide all funding for the European Office for its first year of operation, with the goal of the office becoming self-supporting within the third year of operation. By implementing revenue-generating programs in partnership with the European Region Council, the Region’s contribution to the office budget is expected to increase each year.
Ultimately, the Region will contribute a fair percentage of the European Office budget equivalent to its share of the three operational functions.
Progress toward the goal of financial self-sufficiency will be assessed annually by the AAPG Executive Committee, AAPG executive director and European Region Council.
Present office hours at the Imperial College site are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact the office by calling +44 207 594 3283 -- or when in London, stop by for a visit.