Inuvik’s Arctic Development Expo moves online in 2021

Inuvik’s 2021 Arctic Development Expo will go online in an effort to continue international conversations about the “challenging and evolving realities of life in the North.”

The town announced plans to host a virtual event on June 15-16, 2021 in a news release on Monday afternoon.

The expo – an evolution of the former Inuvik Petroleum Show – brings together government officials, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and members of the oil and gas sector to discuss natural resource development in the Arctic.

Organizers say they have “a robust plan” for a virtual edition of the conference in 2021. The pandemic forced the cancellation of 2020’s edition.

Heading online means participation will be easier for people elsewhere in the circumpolar Arctic as well, organizers added.

“The focus will remain to highlight northern solutions for northern realities as we continue to practise and showcase the resiliency of our businesses, communities, people, and industries that thrive in our Arctic world,” Monday’s news release stated.

The event will focus on four themes identified by participants in the 2019 expo: natural and renewable resources, the knowledge economy, energy innovations and climate, and Indigenous leadership and circumpolar government.

More information about expo speakers, exhibitions, and events will be available on the Arctic Development Expo website in early 2021.