But it could be that the more intriguing events will take place outside the Hall, as there will be an impromptu welcome from the Foundation for the Advancement of Big Oil (FABO), which is also celebrating its centenary this year. The BOAS will be present from 6.30pm to cheer on Lord Browne, to congratulate him on his devastating shareholder return, but also to urge him to ditch the dodgy green rhetoric. Come down and be part of the celebration.

Here's the text of the leaflet they'll be handing to the black-tied throng from the IoD:

huge profit-generating,
empire-creating,
tax-evading,
workers' rights-eroding,
greeny-hoodwinking,
global-warming…
Lord Browne -
we salute you!

And here, in an echo of BP’s slogan for its Ultimate petrol, is our message to the good Lord:
More profits please,
less of the sandal-brandishing green waffle
 
Let’s give Lord Browne a (globally!) warm welcome as he arrives to address the Institute of Directors at their centenary dinner. Here are 9 issues our Lord and his team have done a superb job in keeping away from the gaze of shareholders, many NGO’s and most of the public:

* BP's planned Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil & gas pipelines will be a human rights disaster and produce over 150 million tonnes of CO2 every year for 40 years, causing untold damage to the world's climate;
* John Browne’s salary in 2001-2 came to over £3 million.
* BP has bankrolled Colombian paramilitary death squads in exchange for the 'protection' of its oilfields.
* BP invests less than 1% of its annual budget on solar and other renewable energy sources, much less than they spend on ads and PR.
* BP has been investigated by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) for serious and widespread safety breaches at its UK refineries. In 2002, the HSE fined it £1m for these breaches.
* 'BP and Shell have discussed with the government the prospect of claiming a stake in Iraq's oil reserves in the aftermath of war', FT, 11.3.03
* '$319m US lawsuit accuses BP of pollution offences and lying', FT 14.3.03
* 'Alaska cites and fines BP over death of worker', FT, 28.5.03
* 'BP has been warned by experts…that it could trigger human rights abuses if it proceeds with a $2bn gas scheme in Indonesia.' Guardian on Tangguh, West Papua, 12.3.03.

What can you do? Possibilities include maximising your oil & gas use, signing our petition for the erection of a statue of Lord Browne in Madingley village green, and taking action against the campaigners currently maligning our Lord, BP and Big Oil.

Contacts and further information:
This leaflet was written and distributed by the Foundation for the Advancement of Big Oil; (aka FABO, coincidentally also celebrating its centenary this year):
 bigoilisbrill@yahoo.co.uk          www.fabo.org.uk
On the site you can send us a donation, sponsor a climate sceptic or subscribe to our competively-priced daily 32-page in depth email update.

FABO is an entirely independent, free-thinking think tank; please get in touch to find out about sponsorship opportunities.