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EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome Back!

t is with tremendous pride that I welcome you to the ? rst edition of the new Offshore Engineer (OE).

Many of you already know the brand fairly well, as both the magazine and the online presence at OE-

IDigital.com has been a leading voice in the offshore energy sector for more than 40 years. In fact, after we acquired the assets of AtComedia in Q3 2018 and our plans to revive this title became public, I was struck by the avalanche of good will and positive comments from subscribers and advertisers alike, a true credit to the people who worked tirelessly to create and shape this revered brand since 1975.

We did not enter the task to relaunch Offshore Engineer lightly or blindly. The offshore energy indus- try is in the midst of a historic and prolonged downturn that is reshaping the business. As prices hover between $55 and $70 per barrel, ‘the new norm’ is focused on new technologies, automation and digita- lization to drive down the price of offshore energy discovery and recovery. Our business, b2b publishers in print, online and via any means electronic, is in the midst of a historic transformation too. We were th founded in 1939, a company celebrating our 80 anniversary in 2019, with titles including Maritime Re- porter & Engineering News and MarineLink.com. For the past 20 plus years, with the advent of the IoT revolution and all that it entails, the ‘media’ space has become a crowded one as the barriers to entry have faded and anyone with an electronic device, a WiFi connection and something to say can instantly position themselves as a sector expert. But that is precisely why acquiring and reviving the Offshore Engineer was so attractive: we are long-tenured publishers in every market we serve, and Offshore Engineer provided a household name in the offshore energy sector, highly regarded with a rich history and promising fu- ture. The task of building that future started late last year when OEDigital.com came back to life after a 10-month hiatus, culminating with this, the ? rst of six print editions of Offshore Engineer in 2019.

To the left you will see our OE writers, and I am pleased to say that two key members of the old OE edi- torial team have transitioned to the new Offshore Engineer team, Elaine Maslin and Jennifer Pallanich.

Their contribution to this rebirth far transcends the supply of words and images, as both Elaine and Jen- nifer have been gracious with their time and knowledge, instrumental in providing background, perspective and insight on both the magazine and this dynamic, fast-changing industry.

While my face and words are here now, you will become much more familiar with my colleague Eric

Haun, Managing Editor of Offshore Engineer and OEDigital.com. His is the face you will see at exhibi- tions, conferences and symposia around the world for years to come. Eric is a hard-working, tenacious and talented editor and writer, and I invite you to be in contact with him regarding all matters editorial.

The editorial team – the foundation of Offshore Engineer’s past and future success – does not end here as we have assembled and continue to grow an impressive team of writers and contributors situated in key global locations, supplying exclusive insights both in print and weekly online, every business day, via the “Insights” section on OEDigital.com.

With that I’ll leave you to peruse the January/February 2019 edition of Offshore Engineer; we encourage and welcome your feedback. While it has been a steep climb to get where we are today, watch this space and OEDigital.com for additional offerings throughout the year, because the real work has just begun.

Gregory R. Trauthwein

Editorial Director & Associate Publisher [email protected] t: +1.212.477.6700 • m: +1-516.810.7405

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