Maine wins bid to host 2016 Arctic conference

File Photo / Tim Greenway Icelandic shipping company Eimskip, which moved its U.S. port of call to Portland in 2013, has been credited with helping Maine win its bid to host The Arctic Council's Senior Arctic Officials meeting in October 2016. In this photo, Eimskip USA Managing Director Larus Isfeld is seen at the company's Portland site.

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Maine will become the first state in the contiguous United States to host an Arctic conference in 2016 that is expected to attract senior officials and experts from 20 countries.

The Maine International Trade Center announced Friday that Portland will host the Arctic Council's Senior Arctic Officials meeting Oct. 4-6, 2016, which state officials said will create new opportunities for businesses and academic and research institutions here. The event is part of a “high-level intergovernmental forum that provides a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States and involvement of the Arctic Indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues,” MITC said.

The Arctic group’s members include Canada, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States. There are also several observer nations, including France, Germany, China, Italy and Japan.

"The investment in Maine by the Icelandic steamship company Eimskip has made the Arctic connection possible for the state," Gov. Paul LePage said in a prepared statement. "If Maine is going to see increased trade and shipping activity as a result of what's happening in the Arctic, then it's our responsibility to actively participate in these important discussions. Holding Arctic Council meetings here provides an exciting opportunity for us to showcase the academic, research, and business expertise that Maine brings to the table."

Portland was chosen as the host city after advocacy efforts by U.S. Sen. Angus King, who recently co-founded a caucus focusing on policy issues that impact the Arctic, and Dana Eidsness, director of the Maine North Atlantic Development Office, a program that was formed by MITC and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development in 2013.

"The significance of hosting the Senior Arctic Officials meeting is that 250 Arctic leaders and experts from 20 countries will experience Maine hospitality, arts and culture over a three-day period while interacting with our experts in business and academia/research who have good ideas and solutions to offer in the Arctic," Eidsness said in a prepared statement. "Being selected to host the meeting in Portland is an honor and an opportunity for Maine to exemplify the U.S. Chairmanship brand for the Arctic Council — One Arctic: Shared Opportunities Challenges and Responsibilities — which means that all of us, not just Arctic states and peoples, share in responsibly managing the region."