We proudly present the Region Stavanger ambassadors for 2017

Eric Toogood & Elin Lorentzen – Oil Directory, NDR2017- National Data Repository Work Group Meeting

The National Data Repository Work Group Meeting was held in 2017 and had delegates from around the world. They typically represent government bodies responsible for petroleum activities, or national oil companies. The NDR conference was first held in 1996 and has been held a total of 13 times around the world, including London, Baku, Cape Town, and Calgary. The driving forces behind the conference were Eric Toogood and Elin Lorentzen, from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. Eric Toogood has a degree in library and information science from the Norwegian Library Academy and has been head of Diskos since 1999. He has over 30 years of experience in the oil industry with various management roles within data and information management and has been employed by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate since 1987. He also sits on the board for Energistics, which organises NDR. Elin Elin Lorentzen represents the Diskos Management Team in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, which works on behalf of all Diskos members and is the link between the companies and the database operator. She has worked in NPD since 2003 and during these years has held several different roles in management, document management, information management and IT-related projects.

Merja Riitta Stenroos, University of Stavanger, The 10th International Conference of Middle-English 2017, ICOME10

The International Conference of Middle-English brings together recognised researchers and experts from all over the world in this subject area. This conference is an academic paper conference and is organised bi-annually, in Europe. Typical host cities are university cities such as Dublin, Cambridge and Vienna. The conference gathers around 150 delegates. The driving force behind bringing the conference to Stavanger is Merja Riitta Stenroos, Professor of English Linguistics at the Department of Cultural and Linguistics. She has a PhD in medieval Herefordshire dialects. She has also had an important role in The Middle English Grammar Project (MEG) linked to Glasgow University. Stenroos has published several research articles in international journals and books in her field of expertise. She has also published several books and poetry collections in her native Finland, for which she has won recognition and awards.

Anne Mangen – University of Stavanger, The 16th IGEL Conference 2018 / E-READ 2018

The International Society for the Empirical Study of Literature organised its academic conference, The IGEL Conference in Stavanger, in July 2018. The conference brings together leading researchers in the field from all over the world. The event gathers around 250 delegates, is biannual, and alternates between Europe and the USA/Canada. is Professor Anne Mangen, University of Stavanger. Anne Mangen is associated with the Reading Centre, where she is a professor of Reading Science. Her research concerns the effects and implications of digitisation on reading and writing. In collaboration with psychologists and neuroscientists, she has carried out many experiments comparing the effects of different technological interfaces (paper and screen; pen and keyboard) on the cognitive and emotional aspects of reading and writing. She received her doctorate in media studies at NTNU and has worked at the Reading Center since 2007. She is the head of COST E-READ, an EU-funded research network that brings together more than 150 researchers from 33 countries.

Jørn-Atle Erichsen - GTI, 3-sjøersløpet/Stavanger Marathon

Jørn Atle Erichsen is chairman of GTI Athletics and a fit runner who works at Equinor during the day. He is one of many volunteers in the athletics club with only 250 members, and as chairman has actively contributed to developing the club's two races, the Stavanger Marathon and the 3-sjøersløpet, into major international races. GTI is now also a member of the international network Association of International Marathons (AIMS). The club is very active on social media and skilled in its communication with the runners throughout the year. Their races experience strong growth from year to year and have never had more international participation than now. As much as 13% of the participants in the Stavanger Marathon, for example, live outside Norway. The club and its board have this year also won the NM in the Half Marathon here for the region, which is organised on the occasion of the 3-sjøersløpet 2018

Martyn Reed - NuArt Festival

Martyn Reed is the initiator behind and director of NuArt Festival - one of the world's leading international contemporary urban/street art festivals, which is organised annually in the Stavanger region. Ever since its inception in 2001, NuArt Festival has been a platform for national and international artists who work outside the established art environment, and the festival leaves its mark on the region's walls both outdoors and indoors. The artists who take part are among the world's most recognised practitioners of public art, and the festival also consists of exhibitions and works of performances, debates and workshops. Through his work, Martyn Reed has become an important social debater. NuArt Festival has contributed to tourism by organising NuArt Street art tours for groups and tourists and contributed to making Stavanger a more attractive destination.

Magnus Lund - Lund Group Events, Landstreff Stavanger

Magnus Lund is the general manager of Lund Group Events and organiser of Norway's largest music festival for young people, Landstreff Stavanger. With as many as 14,000 guests every day, of which over 85% are visitors and more than 30 concerts on 7 stages, Landstreffet has become a full-fledged music festival, and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2016! The event attracts international artists and has a good reputation as an organiser both among the artists and the participants. When Innovation Norway conducted its survey in the autumn of 2017 on what is being talked about globally when it comes to the Stavanger region, the Landstreffet and the artists who had been at the Landstreffet were some of the things that were highlighted. Magnus is the 4th generation co-owner of Lund Gruppen Holding AS, a family-owned company that has been in the entertainment industry since 1895. Magnus has experience from major festivals such as Quartfestivalen and Hovefestivalen but has worked in Lund Group Events for the past 11 years, including with Landstreffet. In 2017, Lund Group Events became a co-owner of the Palmesus music festival in Kristiansand.

Rannveig Stangeland & Thor Otto Lohne, Equinor og North Sea Infrastructure AS, The 18th European Gas Conference 2017

The main theme of the conference was "Business models in a more decarbonised European Energy Market" and was organised in Stavanger by the Norwegian Petroleum Association and Conventor. The driving forces behind the conference were Rannveig Stangeland and Thor Otto Lohne. Rannveig Stangeland has held several roles within communications at Equinor and is now communications director for the Development and production Norwegian continental shelf. Stangeland has held many board positions in, among others, the Norwegian Gas Association, the World Energy Council, etc. Thor Otto Lohne, with a background from, among others, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Gassco and Equinor, is now in North Sea Infrastructure AS. He was chairman of the program committee for the 18th European Gas Conference.

Ulf Rosenberg - EBBA (European Brass Band Association), European Championship Brass Band 2023

Ulf Rosenberg is president of the European Brass Band Association, he is a trained musician, and journalist and currently works for the oil company VNG Norway. He is a committed trombone player and is passionate about the brass band environment both in Stavanger and in the rest of the world. The European Brass Band Championship is the world's most prestigious band competition and has been confirmed for Stavanger and Stavanger Konserthus in 2023. As many as 30 bands from all over Europe compete in the championship and the Norwegian Music Corps Association is hosting it in collaboration with the local brass band community. Ulf has been an active supporter of bringing the championship to Stavanger for several years. Ulf was previously president of the national association and still sits on the board of the Stavanger Brass Band.

Gorm Haagensen - Ferrari Owners Club Norway, Nordic gathering for Ferrari owners

Gorm Haagensen is a long-standing leader of FOC Norway and also represents its members in international contexts. The FOC Nordic Meeting 2019, showcased the best of Rogaland, with driving experiences and stops at local attractions and sights. The 6th Nordic Ferrari Meeting 2019 is the largest annual meeting for Ferrari enthusiasts in the Nordics, with participants from Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Organised annually, and gathers around 100 cars and 200 people. The event runs over three days. The Ferrari club was founded in 1999, in Nærbø. The club is part of an international network, with approximately 17,000 members in 46 countries, who meet for meetings, exhibitions, events, and races. Gorm Haagensen has been a key person in bringing this event to the Stavanger region.

Rune Røksund - Rogaland Idrettskrets, Sports Gala 2019 & NM Week 2018/2019

Rune Røksund is the general manager of Rogaland Sports Association, a former advertising man and an active skydiver. He is passionate about sports and is actively involved in improving the sport's framework both locally and nationally. Rogaland Sports Association has a strategic cooperation agreement with Region Stavanger, and together they have organised several events for the region over the past two years. The biggest are the sport's festival day the Sports Gala, which enters the DnB Arena on the first weekend in January 2019, and the NM Week, which has been awarded to the region both for 2018 and 2019. The sports gala includes both Norsk Tipping's preparty, NIF's professional seminar, the sports celebration evening, and ending with an after party. As well as surrounding activities associated with the sports club's 100th anniversary. NM Week 2018 will be held 15-19 August 2018 and gathers around 30 NM over 5 days. For 2019, the number is expected to pass 45 championships over 10 days. NM Week is a new concept from the Norwegian Sports Confederation and NRK, with Norsk Tipping as the general sponsor. The project is a collaborative project where the municipalities of Stavanger, Sandnes, Sola, Randaberg and the Rogaland county will host together with the Sports Association, and possibly more municipalities will be connected eventually.

Merete Eik - Stavangerregionen Port, InPort Conference and Cruise Norway-Conference, 2018

Merete has many roles and board positions. As port director of the Port of Stavanger region, and has previously been director of Rogaland Theatre. She has an economics degree and worked with management and operations for large parts of her career. Merete Eik and her colleagues at the Port of Stavanger region have many tasks, business areas and areas of expertise, and are important players in society. The InPort conference and the Cruise Norway conferences, both in 2018, gather hundreds of international delegates in Stavanger. These are professional conferences that deal with the digitisation of the sector, logistics, port operations and cruise tourism. The Port of the Stavanger region is responsible for freight traffic, ferry traffic, offshore traffic - and cruise traffic. The company is involved in several national and international industry networks. Director Merete Eik has been the key person for these two conferences to be organised in Stavanger.

Ole Gunnar Dokka - Spaceport Norway, European Space Agency BA– meeting 2018

Ole Gunnar Dokka is the founder of Rocket Grace and the driving force behind Spaceport Norway and works in the areas of design, innovation, technology and digitalisation. He has a background in Telenor and Equinot. In the latter, he was, among other things, responsible for digital and media strategy, development and implementation of a new brand and open innovation for the group globally. Since the spring of 2016, he has led and developed Spaceport Norway as a new cross-industry meeting place, the close collaboration with the Norwegian Space Agency and last year's conference has contributed to bringing the ESA conference to Norway and the Stavanger region. The European Space Agency (ESA) is a cooperative organisation between 22 European countries, Norway has been a full member since 1987. ESA's main task is to develop satellite systems and the associated necessary infrastructure on the ground. In addition, an important task is the development of launch rockets. Satellites are developed both for purely scientific purposes, but also for space systems for earth observation, telecommunications, and navigation. ESA is also strongly involved in the work with the international space station ISS and works long-term with the establishment of projects on the moon, Mars and other planets. The European Space Agency (ESA) Business Applications Conference 2018 covers the opportunities related to space technology, services and infrastructure as a platform for innovation and business development. The conference usually gathers around 250 subject experts and business developers from Europe, but also from other parts of the world. Ole Gunnar Dokka has been a key person in bringing this conference to Stavanger.

Geir Eikeskog - Sandnes IL Athletic, NM Friidrett 2017/UM 2016 etc.

Geir Eikeskog is the day-to-day manager of the athletics group at Sandnes Athletics Club. The athletics group in Sandnes Athletics delivers over 20 events annually, where they focus on non-sports in the form of events for children/youth, but also several exercise races. Sandnes Athletics organised the NM in athletics in August 2017 in Sandnes Athletics Park. The Norwegian championships were a public festival with around 13,000 spectators and many sporting highlights, where sports teams from Rogaland did a very good job of winning medals. The championship required up to 20,000 volunteer hours from a staff of around 350 volunteers. The Norwegian championship is referred to in wide athletics circles as one of the best of all time.

Per A. Thorbjørnsen - Folkehallene, EC Curling, WC Curling Veteran, WC Curling Mixed Double 2019, World Cup Speed Skating x 3

Per A. Torbjørnsen is the chairman of Folkehallene and an active politician for the Liberal Party. He is the group leader of Stavanger Venstre's city council group and a member of the chairmanship and the municipal committee. As chairman of the board, he has contributed actively to making arrangements so that the administration in the Folkehallene has been able to work with certain environments to attract large international events. In recent years, Folkehallene has experienced great success in attracting and holding, among other things, the European Championship in Curling in 2013, the World Cup in ice skating three times, the World Cup in climbing in 2015, and has now been confirmed for two new World Cups in curling, namely the World Cup Curling for veterans and WC Curling Mixed Double. The events have subsequently been described as particularly successful, and Sørmarka Arena was referred to as one of Europe's best lowland skating rinks after the world championships event.