Gallery: Decades of delegates and displays at Offshore Europe

Held in the grounds of the University of Aberdeen, the first-ever Offshore Europe was a far cry from today's multi-national event at the P&J Live.

By Kirstie Waterston

September 10 2023, 6:00 am

1973: Where it all started... the site of the first Offshore Scotland show near the student halls in the grounds of the University of Aberdeen in March 1973.

Offshore Europe marked a mammoth milestone this week after the 50th event was held in Aberdeen, but it came from humble beginnings.

As the oil capital of Europe, Aberdeen now attracts tens of thousands of delegates to the P&J Live every year.

But the first-ever Offshore Europe was held in the shadow of the Crombie Halls of Residence in the grounds of the University of Aberdeen in 1973.

It was said “all roads lead to Aberdeen” in March that year when the inaugural Offshore Scotland event took place.

Despite the more local name than we’re used to these days, it attracted exhibitors from Norway, Nova Scotia, America and the Netherlands.

An advert from the first-ever Offshore Scotland event held in Aberdeen in 1973. Image: DC Thomson

As well as using the university’s grounds, exhibitors and organisers made use of lecture theatres and accommodation.

Veteran Radio 1 broadcaster Jimmy Young even reported live from the first Offshore Scotland during a two-hour broadcast from Aberdeen.

After his visit to the exhibition he headed to Kittybrewster cattle market where he was “mobbed by children and housewives”.

Deemed an “outstanding success” despite Aberdeen’s “lack of major exhibition accommodation”, moves were in the pipeline to make Offshore Scotland an annual event.

Aberdeen would have to wait until 1985 for its first exhibition and conference centre, but this didn’t hamper Offshore Europe.

Now this year’s theme for Offshore Europe is looking to a sustainable energy future, but we’ve looked to the past to dig out some archive photos.