«Gazprom Neft» is one of the largest vertically integrated oil companies in Russia, ranking among the top three in oil production. In recent years, the company has actively transformed into a technology organization, developing and implementing IT solutions from exploration to processing: digital twins, AI-assisted drilling, and advanced data platforms already reshaping operations. By 2025, the company's number of qualified digital technology specialists reached 10,000 and «Gazprom Neft» became the leader in registering IT software solutions in the Russian Software Registry. The company already produces more than half of its oil using digital twins, and its portfolio of in-house IT developments includes over 100 registered products. This ensures efficient management of production processes and the continuous accumulation of vast amounts of data, gradually creating a digital model of the Earth's subsurface. As the hydrocarbon market becomes increasingly volatile and production becomes increasingly complex – easy accessible reserves are depleted, and new fields require precise, fast, and technologically advanced solutions – digitalization become a key competitive advantage for the company.
Problem
The brand has a few direct contacts with her, so every event with a high concentration of business audiences is a unique opportunity for high-quality interaction. The SPIEF is a unique opportunity because every year attracts a large number of participants from around the world, including representatives of Russian and international businesses, and receives extensive coverage in business and industry media. The key task was to rethink the format of exhibition presence at one of the most competitive business events – the SPIEF. Given the high density of brands and information overload at the SPIEF, traditional exhibition communication formats (stands, presentations, reports, interface demonstrations) are ineffective and fail to provide sufficient engagement. Our challenge was to create a new spatial solution that would both visually stand out and capture the audience's attention. An additional challenge was to integrate architecture and invisible technologies —digital twins, AI-enabled drilling, and advanced data platforms—into a unified concept to convey the essence of digital transformation through physical space. Our ambition was to loudly announce the digital transformation of «Gazprom Neft» and secure its position as the leading digital oil company. It was important for us to create a new form of communication to: 1) Demonstrate the scale and practical value of Gazprom Neft's digital technologies. 2) Create a lasting brand association with technological leadership. 3) Ensure visibility in the business and industry media. 4) Create a memorable visual image of the digital transformation.
Solution
Even the most advanced technologies remain incomprehensible if they can't be seen and felt. B2B audiences value tangible evidence of innovation, not mere appearances. To convey the essence of digital transformation and change brand perception, we need to transform abstract data — algorithms and digital processes — into emotionally engaging and scientifically grounded artistic experiences. Our solution was the multimedia art project «Terrabyte» – an immersive installation that combines science, technology, and art. The project's name combines the words «terra» (Earth) and «byte» (a unit of digital data) to convey its essence. To create an emotional impact, we chose a phygital booth format — the centerpiece of the SPIEF exhibit was a 30-meter screen shaped like a «digital slice of the earth». Our new visual language transformed data about the Earth's interior — something physically invisible to humans — into a cinematic journey 5 kilometers deep, showcasing geological strata and the evolution of the Earth's surface from ancient times to the present day. In just a few minutes, forum participants were immersed in a visual story of how the company's geologists and engineers use digital models to manage processes deep underground. The «Terrabyte» project is unique due to the close collaboration between scientists and media artists, who, over the course of seven months, created a stunning art piece based on real-world big data. This fusion of art and technology helped to maintain scientific accuracy.
Results
The project demonstrates a new approach to exhibition space design, transforming the exhibition into an immersive experience. The phygital stand, with its 30-meter screen, became a unique focal point at the forum, ensuring a high level of visitor engagement: over 24,200 participants from 144 countries, including 8,700 key stakeholders and senior executives from international companies. The installation went beyond simple exhibition design and became an architectural object, a media installation, and a cultural event at the same time. This strengthened the brand's presence both in the forum's physical space and in the media space: over 162 million interactions, 16 television commercials, over 307 media publications, over 206 Telegram messages, and over 224 mentions on social media. The project set a new standard for B2B exhibition solutions, combining environmental design, technology, and storytelling into a single system.
