his spring in Anchorage, Arctic Encounter will host its annual flagship and North America’s largest Arctic policy and business event—the Arctic Encounter Summit (AES). Scheduled for April 15–17 at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center and the Anchorage Museum, AES 2026 will explore the most pressing Arctic issues, including security, innovation, sustainable development, investment, and geopolitics.

The 2025 Summit convened leaders from more than twenty-seven countries—government officials, diplomats, business executives, investors, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and security experts. “This is where the conversation about the future of the North becomes multi-sector, international, and actionable,” says Arctic Encounter Founder and CEO Rachel Kallander, an Alaskan entrepreneur. “We’re not just bringing people together—we’re aiming to advance policy, strengthen partnerships, and build investment pipelines that will define the next decade of Arctic progress and security.”

AES features VIP debates, plenary and breakout sessions, local exhibitors, artist performances, and the Far North Fashion Show. To ensure access, the event offers discounted registration for nonprofits, students, government representatives, and tribal entities, as well as scholarships for elders and rural Alaskans.

In 2024, Arctic Encounter also launched the Northern Vision Fellows program to engage and empower emerging Arctic leaders. “When voices from every corner of the North sit at the same table, we unlock solutions that are smarter, stronger, and more sustainable,” says Kallander.

First held in 2014 in Seattle, Arctic Encounter found its permanent home in Anchorage in 2022. AES 2024 brought together more than 200 speakers and 1,000 attendees from over thirty nations—earning a Visit Anchorage award for more than $804,000 local economic impact across the three-day Summit.

Arctic Encounter, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit NGO based in Anchorage is focused on raising awareness, engaging challenges, and developing solutions in the North. “Our mission is to make the Arctic impossible to ignore—turning awareness into collaboration and collaboration into investment,” Kallander says. “The Arctic is not a frontier to be watched but a region that demands vision, cooperation, and shared purpose for future generations.”

The organization has hosted events across the globe—in Iceland, Norway, Paris, and London—and facilitates private policy dialogues in Washington, D.C. In 2024, Arctic Encounter brought nearly 100 leaders to Utqiaġvik and plans to continue annual Arctic field programs in 2026. Looking ahead, it will strengthen its D.C. presence and pursue new partnerships to expand the Summit’s global impact.

“The world is watching the Arctic,” Kallander adds. “Alaska and the circumpolar North have the talent, ingenuity, and leadership to shape what happens next—and AES is a convening where that work takes place. What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic, and Alaskans should be the first to speak up, engage, and consult on both challenges and solutions when it comes to the U.S. Arctic.”