b"President's pieceASEG newsPresidents pieceConsultants have renewed as CorporateAustralia and overseas. We also realised Members. New Corporate Membersthe promise and capability of webinars DUG and Transparent Geophysics joinedto transcend state and international towards the end of 2020. The majorityboundaries, and I would like to thank all of fees from corporate membershipspresenters for their time and effort. At the are directed to the ASEGs Researchtime of writing, 24 webinars hosted by Foundation, which funds industry-relevantNSW, SA/NT, Victorian, WA Branches and student research projects. Previous issuesthe Federal Executive, have been directly of Preview have described many of theseviewed by around 1100 people from 30 projects, which run the gamut from BSccountries, and have attracted around 3000 (Hons.) to PhD, in minerals, hydrocarbonsubsequent views on the ASEGs YouTube and environmental domains. I would alsochannel. Figure 1 compares webinar At the time of writing in mid-November,note in passing that most of the corporateregistration and attendance for Members 2020 had 50 days remaining. Ordinarily,sponsors are in the service sector. Over theand non-members and offers a number of this would be time to prepare for the endASEGs 50 years, Corporate Members havetakeaways. Firstly, that webinars covering of the year and a break. However, if 2020,included major explorers and governmentinteresting, relevant topics acquire a large has taught us (me ) anything, it is toagencies. With increasing prioritiesaudience in terms of simple attendance expect the unexpected from any quarter;placed on social license to operate andand, by proportion, attendance of ASEG given the previous 11 months, we maycorporate citizenship, I am hopeful thatMembers. Secondly, comparing Figure 1 not be done in any sense just yet. such organisations will re-join the ranksto Figure 1 in my PV 208 Presidents Piece of ASEG Corporate Members in comingshows that presenters can use their social Typical fare for end of year columns isyears. I would also like to acknowledgemedia network to promote their work. membership renewals, and this columnand thank the many sponsors of individualFor students, a YouTube presentation is no exception. Following the 2020sbranches. Too numerous to mentionis a profoundly positive statement of COVID-19 shut down, the Federalwithout trying the readers patience, thesecommitment to any prospective employer.Executive made the decision to retain feessponsors are given prominence in every at 2019 levels. We also made the decisionASEG webinar. Finally, I would like take this opportunity to advance the early-bird period by oneto wish Members the best of success month, leaving December for MembersNominally, 2020 marks the end of thefor 2021. May any breaks taken be safe, to renew at normal rates before the feesASEGs 50th Anniversary. Despite therelaxing and restful. I look forward to become overdue in January, 2021. I wouldmajor left-field disruption of operationswelcoming 2021, the ASEGs 51 st year, the also like to reiterate the importance offrom COVID-19, there is much to reflect3rd AEGC in Brisbane, and the dawn of a ASEG membership. In addition to freeupon. The first virtual AGM allowed allnew decade.access to articles in Exploration Geophysics,Members to attend instead of only those a monthly newsletter, reduced entrytravelling, or living in the hosting state. to AEGC conferences, and free entry toThe ASEG awarded a Gold Medal to DrDavid Annetts face-to-face technical meetings whichBrian Spies in a hybrid ceremony drawingASEG President have recently restarted, to name but atogether presenters and participants frompresident@aseg.org.aufew benefits, membership of the ASEG is a clear statement of commitment. This commitment is employed by the ASEG in forums such as the Society of Exploration Geophysics (SEG) Council and the Australian Geoscience Council (AGC) to make the case for support and recognition of exploration geophysics as an active vibrant field which is critical to many domains in the future. This last point will become increasingly important in coming months as the effects of recent, continuing upheaval in the education sector begin to be realised. With diminished opportunities to study at the tertiary level, the ASEG must take the initiative to ensure that exploration geophysics remains a viable career option.I would also like to acknowledge the ASEGs Corporate Members. HiSeis, Figure 1.Comparison of registration and attendance for all ASEG webinars at the time of writing. Bars TotalSeismic and Velseis have renewed show Member/non-member attendance and registration as percentages and numbers at their end show for 2021 as Corporate Plus Members,that there is little correlation between a well-attended webinar and the proportion of ASEG Members while Santos and Southern Geoscienceattending a webinar.DECEMBER 2020 PREVIEW 2"