Global Islands To Gather For Virtual Summit
The Virtual Island Summit, which will be held on Tuesday, September 8th, is expecting 10,000 participants from hundreds of islands spanning all corners of the globe, including Bermuda.
A spokesperson said, “This year the Virtual Island Summit expects the participation of 10,000 island stakeholders from across the world with topics discussed including post-pandemic economic recovery, tourism, energy, climate change, education, democracy, transport, sustainability and much more – all in relation to the island context. Registration is available for free: www.virtualislandsummit.com.
“The Virtual Island Summit aims to be an inclusive event using the opportunity to create “digital bridges” that will bring together global islands to collaborate on finding creative solutions that lean on the expertise of every global community, no matter how isolated they may be.
“The input of these communities is invaluable in building a sustainable future, and the event brings together experts from islands around the world to discuss key issues facing the planet and how we can resolve them together.
“There are over 30 different sessions available with no limit on how many participants can join. Attendees will be able to engage with one another throughout the week, and will have additional opportunities to interact with the Summit’s speakers and partners with features such as a tradeshow and focused networking sessions.
“Facilitating conversations has been key throughout planning the event format, and the host Island Innovation utilizes its expertise in digital communications to ensure there will be plenty of opportunities for exchange just like a physical event.
“There are over 150 speakers joining this year’s Virtual Island Summit including the Prime Minister of Fiji, Prime Minister of St Vincent & the Grenadines, President of Guyana, Scotland’s Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, Governor of Guam, Malta’s Foreign Minister and the Mayor of Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Regions represented include the Caribbean, Pacific, Arctic, Indian Ocean, Patagonia, Mediterranean, North and South Atlantic, Africa and Asia.
“We started the Virtual Island Summit to encourage connections between seemingly far-flung islands that have a substantial amount in common but may be separated by vast distances. The idea was born before we were forced to use digital events this year by the pandemic, and the opportunity will extend far beyond lockdown,” says James Ellsmoor, Director, Island Innovation.
“Participants get a unique opportunity to exchange information with an extremely diverse array of people, and by keeping the event free we maximize the opportunities for participation. Especially given the specific challenges islands have faced in 2020, we aim to generate some concrete outcomes that can be actioned by participants in their own communities.”
“In 2020, sustainability is no longer an optional activity – it’s a vital imperative,” said Anil Srivastava, CEO, Leclanché. “We commend the Virtual Island Summit for focusing on the needs of island communities and working diligently to educate and share knowledge globally to address our global island community’s many challenges. Leclanché is pleased to support the event and share our experience and expertise in renewable energy generation and storage and the electrification of transportation.”
Sorry but we shouldn’t be giving our ideas or edge away to competing islands