Global Energy Show brings 30,000 visitors to Calgary next week
Over 500 exhibitors, including new international pavilions, are expected at Canada's largest energy conference.
The Global Energy Show kicks off in Calgary next week against a vastly different energy landscape than last year — with oil markets upended by Middle East conflict and new pipeline politics reshaping Alberta's energy strategy.
Organizers are expecting more than 30,000 attendees, driven largely by international visitors curious about Canada's energy offerings. Nick Samain, senior vice-president at DMG Events, said 500 exhibitors are expected on the trade show floor, a 10 per cent increase from last year. Many are international pavilions that haven't participated before.
"The surge in international interest speaks to how people are taking Canada seriously as an energy producer," Samain said.
Scheduled speakers include federal Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, the premiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories, and the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's upstream division.
A year ago, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was just beginning to float the idea of a new West Coast oil pipeline, and there was no war in the Middle East upending global energy markets. The conference now reflects a fundamentally different conversation about Canada's role in global energy supply.