Dr Nick Coles was a professional events organiser who worked for many years with mainstream companies such as Informa, IBC and Penwell. In the early 1990's he started organising conferences in the Middle East, including pipeline and seismic events. Nick always had an eye for new topics where events would offer opportunities for professionals to gather and exchange knowledge. He did that for digital oilfields with IDOC, for cyber security with the International O&G Cyber Security Conference Series, and for sour gas with the widely acknowledged SOGAT.

Following a digital rock physics workshop that he coordinated for ADNOC in late 2018, he saw the opportunity for rock imaging and was pivotal in organising the first International Rock Imaging Summit in 2020 that led to the formation of the Rock Imaging Special Interest Group. Nick was hugely enthusiastic about this technical area and the people who inhabit it. His personable style and humourous tales endeared him to all, and his extensive reading and broad knowledge allowed him to speak with confidence across disciplines.

The Nick Coles Memorial Award will be awarded each year to someone who displays that same enthusiasm, passion, humour and desire to communicate. It will recognise an outstanding contribution to the rock imaging community and the Rock Imaging Special Interest Group of which Nick was so proud.

The 2024 recipient was Dr Alan Butcher.