What ONS does

ONS (Offshore Northern Seas Foundation) is a Norwegian non-profit foundation founded in 1974 that operates the ONS Global Energy Forum, a biennial event held in Stavanger, Norway under the Royal Patronage of HM King Harald V of Norway. The forum convenes the global energy community — energy operators (Equinor, Shell, Aker BP), policymakers, technology providers (ABB, Hitachi, Baker Hughes, Accenture), investors (DNB, S&P Global), and scale-ups — across 9 conference venues and 8 exhibition halls spanning oil and gas, renewables, hydrogen, CCUS, offshore wind, and emerging energy themes. The product portfolio includes the Strategic Conference, Summit, Net Zero Markets, Centre Court, Technical Sessions, Scale-Ups arena, ONS+ downtown programming, ONS Young, the Energy Talks Podcast, and biennial ONS Energy Agenda reports.

Revenue is generated through four streams: exhibition and stand bookings at NOK 4,490-6,850 per square meter plus a NOK 12,500 registration fee, conference and event ticket sales, tiered partnership and sponsorship programmes (Main Partners, Leading Partners, Partners), and Energy Agenda report sales. Direct sales are managed through dedicated Key Account Managers and an online booking portal; tickets are sold self-serve via the ONS website. Distribution is supported by a year-round content engine including the Energy Talks podcast, Energy Experts blog, newsletter, and social media channels. The foundation operates with a lean team of 11-50 employees, supported by an extended governance network of 250+ leaders on working committees and 300+ energy experts on the International Advisory Board, with strategic alliances to Munich Security Conference, Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy, and CERAWeek.

Name

ONS

Legal name

Offshore Northern Seas Foundation

Website

https://ons.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ONS is a Norwegian non-profit foundation operating the biennial ONS Global Energy Forum in Stavanger, Norway under Royal Patronage. It convenes energy operators, policymakers, technology providers, and investors across oil and gas, renewables, and emerging energy segments through exhibitions, conferences, and year-round content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Conference and Exhibition Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Energy, Utilities & Infrastructure Congresses (THAHAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Energy, Utilities & Sustainability Shows Organizers (THAHABAK), Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Energy conference services
• Exhibition and trade shows
• Energy industry networking
• Event sponsorship programs
• Industry thought leadership

Headquarters

HQ city

Stavanger

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Exhibition and Stand Bookings: Revenue from selling exhibition space (indoor and outdoor stand space) to companies wanting to showcase their products and services at the ONS event
2. Event Tickets: Revenue from conference passes and visitor tickets for the biennial ONS event and associated venues
3. Partnerships and Sponsorships: Revenue from Main Partners, Leading Partners, and standard Partners that sponsor and support the ONS event with varying levels of visibility and engagement
4. ONS Energy Agenda Reports: Sale of the biennial ONS Energy Agenda reports which serve as essential pre-reads for the ONS Conference with exclusive insights from world renowned leaders and analysts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ONS Foundation operates the ONS Global Energy Forum, a biennial energy conference and exhibition held in Stavanger, Norway. It sells exhibition stand space, conference tickets, and multi-tiered partnerships (Main, Leading, Partners) to energy companies, technology providers, and government participants. The foundation also produces year-round content including Energy Agenda reports and the Energy Talks podcast.

Product overview

ONS (Offshore Northern Seas Foundation) operates the ONS Global Energy Forum, a biennial event held in Stavanger, Norway. The platform consists of the main conference exhibition (9 venues, 8 exhibition halls) with multiple specialized sub-products: the high-level Strategic Conference and Summit for executive discussions; Net Zero Markets covering renewable and low-carbon topics; Technical Sessions for engineering solutions; Centre Court for energy and society topics; ONS+ Downtown for networking and entertainment; Scale-Ups venue for startups; and ONS Young for youth engagement. Supporting products include the Energy Talks podcast series, Energy Agenda research reports, Innovation Awards programs, exhibition stand services, and the ONS App for attendee navigation. The events connect energy industry professionals, policymakers, and thought leaders to discuss geopolitics, energy security, and climate issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ONS Global Energy Forum A biennial global energy conference and exhibition held in Stavanger, Norway, serving as a meeting place for energy industry leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss geopolitics, energy security, and climate issues.
• ONS Strategic Conference High-level conference component featuring keynote speakers and panel discussions on energy strategy with prominent industry leaders and policymakers.
• ONS Summit Exclusive gathering of top industry leaders and government representatives for high-level strategic discussions, with 56+ leaders from 15 countries at the 2024 edition.
• Net Zero Markets Conference arena dedicated to low-carbon and renewable energy topics including wind, hydrogen, CCUS, solar, battery/energy storage, nuclear, and green shipping, with 4,050 attendees at ONS 2024.
• Technical Sessions Technical conference sessions exploring engineering challenges and solutions in the energy sector, including emission reduction technologies.
• Centre Court (Energy Society at Centre Court) Energy and society focused arena featuring short talks and panels on topics including seabed minerals, geopolitics, talent, and energy transition, with 2,500+ attendees at ONS 2024.
• ONS+ Downtown Stavanger Evening venue with bars, pavilions, debates, live podcasts and networking events held in downtown Stavanger, including the ONS Concert featuring performers such as Dagny, Vettche, Arif, and Matoma.
• Scale-Ups Venue Networking venue connecting scale-ups, corporate ventures, and private equity companies to discuss scaling new energy solutions, with 1,291 attendees at ONS 2024.
• ONS Young Youth-focused arena engaging students, young professionals, and future students with sessions and debates on energy industry topics and career exploration.
• International Markets Conference arena featuring international offshore wind workshops and market sessions with B2B meeting facilitation, hosting 500+ B2B meetings at ONS 2024.
• Energy Talks Podcast ONS podcast series featuring analysis and discussions with energy experts covering geopolitics, energy security, and technology topics.
• ONS Energy Agenda Reports Biennial reports addressing global energy issues and presenting challenges and potential responses, edited by Nick Butler, serving as essential pre-read materials for ONS Conference attendees.
• Exhibition Services Stand booking and exhibition space services across 8 exhibition halls, with stand sizes ranging from 9 m2 to 300 m2 and turnkey stand packages available, attracting 1,100+ exhibitors from 35 countries at ONS 2024.
• ONS Innovation Award and ONS SME Innovation Award Award programs promoting new and groundbreaking technologies in the energy sector, including recognition for small and medium enterprises; past winners include Wärtsilä Norway and Ruden AS (2022).

Quantifiable outcome

• 72,676 visitors from over 100 countries attended ONS 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered main partner, leading partner, partner, co-organised and core.

• OneSubseamain partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026OneSubsea is a Main Partner for ONS 2026, providing strategic support for the global energy forum and gaining visibility among the 72,676+ energy industry attendees
• Vaer Energimain partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Vaer Energi is a Main Partner for ONS 2026, supporting the global energy forum as one of Norway's leading energy companies
• Equinormain partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Equinor is a Main Partner for ONS 2026. Ståle Tungesvik from Equinor serves as Chair of the ONS Board, demonstrating deep strategic integration
• Shellmain partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Shell is a Main Partner for ONS 2026 and co-presents The ONS Concert with Arif and Matoma performing
• DNOmain partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026DNO is a Main Partner for ONS 2026, supporting the global energy forum as a Norwegian oil and gas company
• BH (Baker Hughes)main partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Baker Hughes is a Main Partner for ONS 2026, supporting the global energy forum as a leading energy technology company
• ABBleading partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026ABB is a Leading Partner for ONS 2026, contributing to discussions on energy technology and digitalization
• Aker BPleading partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Aker BP is a Leading Partner for ONS 2026, participating in conference sessions and Scale-ups arena
• DNBleading partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026DNB is a Leading Partner for ONS 2026, providing energy finance expertise and hosting events at the forum
• Accentureleading partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Accenture is a Leading Partner for ONS 2026, contributing to energy transition and digital transformation discussions
• DNVpartnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026DNV is a Partner for ONS 2026. CEO Remi Eriksen serves as Chair of the ONS Conference Committee 2024
• HitachipartnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Hitachi is a Partner for ONS 2026, contributing to energy technology discussions
• InfosyspartnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Infosys is a Partner for ONS 2026, contributing digital transformation expertise to energy discussions
• Rackspace TechnologypartnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Rackspace Technology is a Partner for ONS 2026, providing cloud and digital infrastructure expertise
• Aker SolutionspartnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Aker Solutions is a Partner for ONS 2026, contributing engineering and project expertise
• DeloittepartnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Deloitte is a Partner for ONS 2026, contributing consulting and advisory expertise
• LysepartnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Lyse is a Partner for ONS 2026 and operates ONS+ venues with bars and networking events downtown Stavanger
• RENASpartnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026RENAS is Norway's largest facilitator for end-of-life recycling of electronics, partnering with ONS on circular economy discussions and surveys
• S&P Globalleading partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026S&P Global is a Leading Partner for ONS 2026, providing commodity insights and energy market analysis through expert speakers
• LindepartnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Linde is a Partner for ONS 2026, contributing to hydrogen and industrial gas discussions
• High Windco-organisedStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ONS co-organises High Wind event (10 March 2026), expanding the energy forum calendar beyond the biennial event
• CCUS Conference Norwayco-organisedStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ONS co-organises the CCUS Conference Norway, supporting carbon capture and storage discussions
• H2 Conference Norwayco-organisedStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ONS co-organises the H2 Conference Norway, supporting hydrogen energy discussions
• Munich Security ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ONS Foundation partners with Munich Security Conference for global events and network meetings to exchange ideas between industry, government and society
• Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ONS Foundation holds events with Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, featuring expert discussions on energy policy and geopolitics
• CERAWeekcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ONS Foundation partners with CERAWeek for global energy events and network collaboration

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CERAWeek (S&P Global): Flagship annual energy conference in Houston, produced by S&P Global, convening global energy CEOs, policymakers, and investors. Closest direct competitor to ONS in convening power for the senior energy decision-maker audience.
• OTC (Offshore Technology Conference): Annual offshore energy conference and exhibition in Houston, focused on offshore E&P and offshore wind. Closest offshore-themed peer to ONS, with overlapping exhibitor and operator audiences.
• ADIPEC (Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference): One of the world's largest annual energy exhibitions and conferences, organized by ADNOC/dmg events. Directly comparable to ONS in combining a major exhibition with executive-level conference programming for the global energy industry.
• Gastech: Major global exhibition and conference for the gas, LNG, hydrogen, and low-carbon energy value chain. Comparable to ONS in serving a multilateral energy mix and convening operators, EPCs, and technology providers.
• SPE Offshore Europe: Biennial offshore E&P exhibition and conference in Aberdeen organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Directly comparable biennial European oil and gas forum focused on offshore operations and technology.
• Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW): Large annual energy and sustainability policy forum hosted by Masdar, with ministerial summits and an exhibition. Comparable to ONS in bridging energy producers, policymakers, and clean-energy technology players.
• World Petroleum Congress (WPC): Long-running triennial global energy congress convened by the World Petroleum Council. Comparable to ONS as a multi-stakeholder energy forum with ministerial and IOC/NOC engagement.

Emerging players

• Wood Mackenzie Energy Council & Events: Global energy research and events business convening senior energy decision-makers across upstream, integrated, and energy transition themes. Overlaps with ONS' executive conference and content (Energy Agenda) offering.
• European Hydrogen Week / European Hydrogen Energy Conference: Annual European hydrogen policy and industry conference organized by Hydrogen Europe. Overlaps with ONS' H2 Conference Norway co-organization around the hydrogen value chain.

Broad incumbents

• Hannover Messe (energy & industrial decarbonization halls): Large annual industrial trade fair in Germany with significant energy and hydrogen coverage. A broader incumbent player in industrial energy exhibitions, sharing exhibitor and policy audiences with ONS, especially in industrial decarbonization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ons-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ONS