is back at the BMO Centre for its biggest event since 2019, and despite some struggles in the resource sector, political and industry leaders are betting on growth in Alberta.
"The event itself is about supercharging the industry, that's our role over the next three days, and handing that baton to industry to continue the amazing work that Canada's energy sector does," said Nick Samain, senior vice president, DMG Events. Benchmark oil is trading below $70 a barrel and hasn't been higher than $80 since April, and some of Calgary's major players announced job cuts after the UCP government was re-elected.
"I feel like we are finally on a track of major diversification, that includes all aspects of our industry. I'm not going to get too concerned about a little bit of softness in the first couple of months, but we're committed as a government to make sure that we run a balanced budget and we continue to keep an environment that's going to attract investment and jobs here," said Smith.