Arctic Business Conference to Highlight Opportunities, Challenges

UH Energy Will Co-Sponsor Forum Featuring International Energy Experts

Executives from some of the leading energy companies working in the Arctic, along with political leaders from the United States and representatives of other Arctic nations, will talk about the challenges and opportunities involved in exploring for oil in the far north during a business conference Friday, Oct. 17.

The Houston Consular Business Forum 2014 will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Hall 360A, sponsored by the City of Houston, OTC’s Arctic Technology Conference and the University of Houston Energy initiative.

The conference begins at 8 a.m. Friday with keynote addresses by congressmen Pete Olsen, R-Sugar Land, and Gene Green, D-Houston, talking about U.S. policy, followed by a discussion on strategies to mitigate the challenges of working in the Arctic. Speakers will address how lessons learned from working in ultra deepwater, medical technology and aerospace apply to the Arctic.

Speakers for that panel include Jason Nye, senior vice president of Statoil’s U.S. Offshore division; Dr. Peter Lundgren, a researcher with the division of surgery at Umea University in Umea, Sweden; and Omar Hatamleh, assistant chief scientist at NASA.

A second panel will look at how development policies and regulations can foster growth that is environmentally sound and socially sustainable. Speakers include Inuuteq Holm Olsen, the Danish Embassy’s Greenland Minister; Mitch Bloom, vice president of the Canadian Northern Development Agency; and Mikko Niini, chairman of the Finnish Maritime Association.

Darrell K. Beaulieu, chairman of the Northwest Territories Business Development Corporation, will serve as keynote speaker for the luncheon, followed by a series of B2B roundtable discussions, as well as sessions on other topics.

For more information, visit: http://events.houston.org/?id=247&eid=641&Mode=ViewDetails

The conference is part of a two-day global gathering honoring Houston’s 92-member Consular Corps, ending with the white-tie Houston Consular Ball on Saturday, Oct. 18, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. This year’s theme is “Northern Lights, Southern Hospitality” and will feature the culture and cuisine of the Arctic countries.

 

 

About Houston

With a population of 2.2 million people, Houston ranks as the nation’s 4th largest city.  Known as the Energy Capital of the World, Houston is an entrepreneurial, diverse, cosmopolitan city where no one ethnic or racial group holds a majority.  Twenty-five Fortune 500 companies call Houston home.  It is also the site of NASA headquarters - the facility responsible for putting the first man on the moon - the Port of Houston and the more than 50 research and treatment institutions that comprise the world-renowned Texas Medical Center.

 

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation's best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 39,500 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country.

 

Media contacts:

 

City of Houston

Darian Ward

832-393-0804

Darian.Ward@houstontx.gov

 

 

University of Houston

Jeannie Kever

713-743-0778

jekever@uh.edu