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May 27, 1997
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)

CABOT EVENT NAMED TOP INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR 1997

Summit of the Sea Receives Admiral Award From City of St. John's

A key Cabot 500 event was recognized as the preeminent international conference taking place in the City of St. John's this year. "We're delighted and proud to receive the Admiral Award, especially considering the number of other significant events happening this year," says Dr. Ches Blackwood, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Summit of the Sea.

The Admiral Award is a recognition of the positive economic impact the Summit of the Sea will have on the City of St. John's. The award was presented by Mayor John Murphy at a ceremony to kick off Tourism Awareness Week on Tuesday, May 27, and accepted by Dr. Blackwood on behalf of the volunteer board which is planning the Summit.

The Summit of the Sea, the world's largest oceans policy conference of 1997 will take place in St. John's this fall. The summit will see the world's leading oceans policy makers gather in a series of 12 conferences between August 27 and September 21, with a core conference set for September 1 to 6.

It is estimated that some 3300 individual delegates and participating organizations will inject up to 5 million dollars into the local economy during the three week period.

Summit of the Sea Coordinator David Finn says tourism studies show conferences like the summit can bring significant economic benefits to a region. "According to data collected by the City of St. John's, 80 per cent of all conference delegates will extend their stay by approximately 3 days and approximately 50 per cent will bring a travelling companion. Provincial studies have also shown that approximately 79 cents of every dollar spent by visitors accrues to residents in the form of wages, salaries and business profits. Given the length of the conference and the number of delegates we're expecting, it works out to a lot of money being spent in the province," says Mr. Finn.

The conferences are also expected to provide benefits to the province's oceans sector, says Mr. Finn. "The summit will showcase the technical facilities and expertise available in the province and offers an excellent venue for business networking."

Contact:

Jan Woodford
Summit of Sea
Public Relations
phone: 709-729-4323
fax: 709-579-2067
email: jwoodfor@cabot500.gov.nf.ca

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Backgrounder

THE SUMMIT OF THE SEA

A Global Effort to Sustain the Seas

The world's largest oceans policy conference of 1997 will take place in St. John's, Newfoundland, this summer when the marine equivalent of the Earth Summit is held.

Entitled the Summit of the Sea, it is the key environmental event of Newfoundland and Labrador's Cabot 500th Anniversary Celebrations, and the acknowledged precursor of the United Nations' 1998 International Year of the Ocean.

With a focus on achieving sustainable oceans development, the Summit will set the tone for oceans policy discussion throughout the coming year. It will have long-term influence, not only for the 30,000 fishery workers of Newfoundland and Labrador, but for 20 million fishers world-wide who depend on the ocean's bounty for their livelihoods.

A series of conferences will see a stellar list of participants and oceans policy-makers, including Federico Mayor, Director General of UNESCO, Pulitzer Prize-winning author E. Annie Proulx, James Baker of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, prominent American oceans advocate and scientist Sylvia Earle, and Elisabeth Mann Borgese, founder and honorary chair of the International Ocean Institute.

They, along with a host of government and industry representatives, scientists and conservation activists, will address 3,000 international delegates in 12 conferences between August 27 and September 19, and a core conference from September 1 to the 6.

Where 5,000 humpback whales cross paths with 10,000 year-old icebergs, Newfoundland and Labrador is an unrivaled site for the summit which seeks a truly sustainable relationship between humanity and the oceans.

Conference Information:

David Finn
Conference Coordinator
Summit of the Sea
Phone: (709) 729-1997
Fax: (709) 579-2067
E-mail: dfinn@cabot500. gov.nf.ca

For information on this and other Cabot 500 events:

Doug Burgess
Manager of Communications
Cabot 500th Anniversary Celebrations
Phone: (709) 729-1997
Fax: (709) 579-2067