Luckily for her workload, Vicky Gr茅goire-Tremblay, marketing and tourism manager for the Town of Inuvik, has found a high level of interest in the upcoming second annual Arctic Energy and Emerging Technologies Conference and Tradeshow.

鈥�There鈥檚 lots of interest,鈥� said Gr茅goire-Tremblay. 鈥淲hat I found different this year was we have lots of people that are actually talking to us and connecting to us without us even approaching them.鈥�

The conference used to be known as the Inuvik Petroleum Show, when it focused primarily on the oil and gas industry.

Since the downturn in that industry in the North, the show has been rebranded as an all-encompassing energy conference.

鈥�I think we鈥檝e already reached that point where we have to look at other ways to produce energy,鈥� said Gr茅goire-Tremblay. 鈥淧eople are interested in other ways to produce energy. I think that there鈥檚 no one solution that fits all, but it鈥檚 through a combination of different sources of energy that we鈥檒l be able to come up with a system that works in the Arctic.鈥�

Slated for the conference are two days of conferences, speeches, workshops, panels and networking opportunities.

Speakers at the event include Claudine Lee, head of environment and communities for Dominion Diamond Corporation; Roberta Bondar, the world鈥檚 first neurologist in space; Chantal Morin, senior project officer at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission; and many more.

Gr茅goire-Tremblay said the event will serve to give organizations new ideas about energy opportunities in the Arctic and a chance to connect with other industry players.

鈥�I think, in terms of networking, there鈥檚 definitely an interest for the event, and also in terms of establishing a strong energy interest in the North,鈥� she said.

The conference itself is only for delegates, but the public will be able to visit the tradeshow area.

The show鈥檚 size will be similar to last year. It isn鈥檛 meant to be a profit generator on its own, but Gr茅goire-Tremblay says it should serve as something of an economic booster for the community with people flying in, staying in hotels and eating at local restaurants.

The conference is June 13 and 14.

June will have plenty of other opportunities, too.

The Canadian Arctic Aviation Tour will be performing an airshow June 8, the Winnipeg Art Gallery will be holding sessions in town early June, the town鈥檚 bylaw is hosting a bike ride, and Aboriginal Day is coming up.

鈥�It鈥檚 going to be super busy,鈥� said Gr茅goire-Tremblay.