Billions of dollars’ worth of oil and gas properties changes hands when producers shed non-core assets and optimize their portfolios. The reasons and motivations behind these deals vary. Some sellers need to pay down debt. Some buyers need to “core up” to drill longer laterals and reduce lease operating expenses. Sometimes private equity backers want to exercise their exit plan, other times they’re seeking to get in on new action. Often finding and structuring successful assets deals – either as the buyers or the seller – can be more art than business. That’s why Oil and Gas Investor produces the A&D Strategies and Opportunities Conference each year at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton hotel in Dallas: The event brings experienced deal-makers together to compare asset strategies, discuss best practices in asset valuation and negotiation, and network with peers and prospects.

Focus on deal-making in workshop

The day before the full conference offers a separate-but-related event, A&D – The Workshop. This event focuses exclusively on the art of the deal. The workshop – to be held on September 6th – is themed as “The Battle of the Masters” and provides hands-on competition in deal-making.

The conference affords more than five hours of opportunities for exclusive, targeted networking.

The 10th edition of A&D - The Workshop, sponsored this year by EnergyNet, challenges veteran deal-makers and up-and-coming A&D executives alike. The highlight of the daylong workshop is an interactive (and highly competitive) team-focused event. Registrants disperse into 8-member teams and evaluate one of three challenging asset deal scenarios in virtual data rooms sponsored by Merrill Corporation. Each scenario is based upon real-life situations and transactions, so the deal dynamics are authentic. Teams prepare bids using their best judgement and, in a new twist for 2017, by soliciting advice from “Board of Director” veterans who will be roving the workshop floor. Once the teams have prepared offers, they must present and defend their bid to The Shark Tank, a panel of highly experienced industry executives. These “Sharks” select three winning bids for deal creativity and bid accuracy. After the bidding war subsides, the distinguished 2017 A&D Workshop Board of Directors takes the stage to share insights on the tough deals, the big scores—and the ones they walked away from. The day’s program is moderated by Darren Barbee, Oil and Gas Investor’s senior editor for A&D, and the workshop ends with a networking reception.

“The Battle of the Masters” will bring an anticipated 150+ participants together to compete head-to-head on all aspects of deal-making. Experience, knowledge and wits will be tested as teams navigate real-world challenges like sky-high valuations, capital access highs (and lows), mineral buyers and other potential deal spoilers. Join the fun and test your skills alongside peers and colleagues at this year’s A&D – The Workshop.

Stay for the conference

The 2017 A&D Strategies and Opportunities Conference offers ample opportunities for networking with the oil and gas industry’s most-active dealmakers. Attendees hear high-profile executives and capital providers dissect recent deals and explore drivers for M&A and A&D activity in the months ahead.

The 2017 A&D-The Workshop brings veteran deal-makers and up-and-coming business professionals together to compete head-to-head on all aspects of deal-making.

This year’s event takes place on September 7th at Ritz-Carlton and is themed. Now in its 16th year, the conference will bring 600+ business development executives and A&D professionals together to hear more about future targets for deal activity.

Relevant data and strategic insight fill nine separate conference sessions. The event also affords more than 5 hours of exclusive, targeted networking activity.

This year’s slate boasts more than 16 executive-level speakers from some of the biggest producers and most active finance companies make presentations designed to help attendees successfully find and negotiate deals.

Ed Morse, managing director & global head, commodities research, Citigroup Global Markets and Tony Sanchez III, CEO of Sanchez Energy Corp, are the keynote speakers. Morse will review The Big Picture for today’s oil and gas marketplace – and Sanchez will address his company’s innovative growth strategies for expanding in the Eagle Ford.

The audience will represent a virtual who’s who of oil and gas deal-making. And since one cannot tell the players without a program, the 2017 edition of “Who’s Who in EP” A&D directory will be available on-site for purchase.

Where deals get done Oil and Gas Investor’s A&D Strategies and Opportunities Conference & Workshop provides the #1 gathering place for BD executives, A&D professionals and industry analysts. From uniquely interactive conference sessions to targeted networking, the event is designed to bring buyers and sellers together in a collaborative environment where deals get done.

Oil and Gas Investor’s A&D Strategies and Opportunities Conference & Workshop take place Sept. 6-7, 2017, at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Dallas. To register or learn more about these events, please visit ADStrategiesConference.com