Registrations for this year's Barents Sea Conference in Hammerfest are continuing to flood in, and we currently have 250 registrants. Never before have there been so many early registrants, and the organisers are busy arranging accommodation for all those attending. "We are not surprised that we are breaking records this year", says Raymond Robertsen, on behalf of the organisers. He believes that both the conference programme and other complementary events offer a wide variety of attractions.
This year's Barents Sea Conference is built around the new and impressive Arctic Culture Centre - Finnmark's major venue. The public response to the Arctic Culture Centre has been very positive, and one way of looking at it is as a realisation of the Barents Sea industrial boom that has now started and which is set to continue.This is the fourth year in succession that the Barents Sea Conference and Exhibition have been held in the last week of April. This year the conference is held under the banner of "Arctic Energy", and will present speakers from the industrial and political arenas, together with Bernard Fuston of the inter-governmental Arctic Council. "This year we will have a broader energy focus at the conference. However the potential and current activities within the oil and gas sector will also be a central theme", says Robertsen.
In spite of the credit crunch, the organisers are experiencing great interest in the Barents Sea Exhibition, which is held in conjunction with the conference Barents Sea Conference. Fredrik Major at Sevan Marine ASA agrees too that the expected levels of activity in the Barents Sea generate interest in the area. Our company is focusing on the northern areas, and the Barents Sea Conference is an important forum for us where we can meet both our clients and business partners, together with many decision-makers.A Barents Sea Youth Conference will also be held prior to the main events, gathering young people from the entire Barents region. This year both the Barents Sea Conference and the Northern Norwegian Development Council are jointly arranging a Round Table debate prior to the main conference.