The Conference at the End of the World
SHARE. LEARN. MARVEL.
Antarctic Peninsula (from San Antonio, Chile)
Antarctic Peninsula (from San Antonio, Chile)
Have you ever dreamed of visiting Antarctica?
What if there was a conference that could take you there?
AntarctiConf is a 4-day mastermind, mini-conference, and retreat onboard a cruise to Antarctica. The inaugural event took place in January 2020 and it is scheduled to take place every 5 years.
Why?
Several of us have attended and spoken at conferences on every continent in the world, except for Antarctica. So, we’d like to check off this bucket-list item while surrounding ourselves with a group of like-minded people.
In addition, making this a professional conference means that all expenses are business expenses for attendees, speakers, and sponsors.
With 4 full days of content, you’ll have plenty to do and learn at the bottom of the world!
Speak at the only conference in Antarctica, while having the trip of a lifetime.
On this amazing cruise on the Coral Princess your food and drinks* are included.
*Additional charge for specialty drinks.
The recently upgraded Coral Princess is a beautiful ship and a perfect way to visit South America and Antarctica!
AntarctiConf is a mini-conference that is taking place aboard a 16-day cruise to Antarctica on board the Coral Princess from Jan 5 to Jan 21, 2020.
This conference is open to everyone. If you enjoy sharing your knowledge with others, learning from your peers, and marveling at the wonders of Antarctica, then this event is for you!
The organizers of this conference are a group of international public speakers. We have spoken on every continent in the world except for Antarctica. In addition, there has never been a technology conference (to our knowledge) in Antarctica, so we decided to make history with this once-in-a-lifetime event!
Many people will never see Antarctica in their lifetime because they don’t have enough of a “reason” to go. As a professional conference, this gives all participants a business case to make the journey to Antarctica. In addition, for the speakers, you’ll get to say you’ve spoken at a conference in Antarctica!
We’re currently gathering feedback from our peers and interested parties to determine what format will work best for all participants. However, we’re currently planning to have presentations, workshops, ignite talks, discussion panels, small-group discussions, and a lot of opportunities to socialize.
We’re currently gathering feedback to see which topics are most appealing. However, we expect the theme will involve technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and self-improvement. We’re currently anticipating the overall theme of this conference will be to reflect on the future direction of our careers.
each participant (including speakers) will need to pay for their own flights and accommodations. The per-person cost of the cruise, with all-inclusive accommodations, is currently around $3000 (US). Upgrades to premium accommodations and all-inclusive alcohol packages are also available.
Absolutely! Your family members are more than welcome to join us for the cruise. In addition, they’re welcome to attend or participate in the conference as well. However, please check with the cruise line for all rules and regulations regarding passengers and service animals.
Antarctica is warmest in January, so there is a small window of time that cruise ships travel there. This means that there were only three possible cruises to choose from in late Dec through mid-January. We chose the January 5th date to minimize conflicts with holidays and work/school schedules.
In January, the temperatures on the Antarctic peninsula rise to 60° F / 15° C, and the weather is generally stable. It’s definitely much nicer than being in Des Moines, Iowa in the middle of January (e.g. 23° F / -5° C). Just dress accordingly and you should be just fine.
The length of the sailing is 16 days.
While we recognize that it can be a long time to spend away from work or school, the overall cost is around 75% less than the shorter 7-10 day cruises in the same region. Additionally, our hope that we are giving you enough warning to plan for this once-in-a-lifetime event.
If you’ve never been on a cruise before, you might think this is a long time. However, many veteran cruisers (especially the retired ones) will tell you that they prefer longer cruises like this one. You’d be surprised how much there is to do and see on a cruise ship and at its ports.
There is so much to do on a cruise ship and its ports that the real question is, how will I fit everything into 16 days. Between the conference, excursions, sights, amenities, events, nightlife, and relaxation, it’s unlikely that you will find yourself struggling to find something to do.
We want this conference to have a relaxed schedule. We don’t want it to be four days of intense back-to-back speakers with no downtime. So, we plan to have several activities spread out over the four days. We hope that the main activities will lead to lots of small-group discussions during the downtime.
Due to environmental regulations, no more than 100 people can land on Antarctica at a time — so the ship itself will not be going ashore. We’ll be just offshore for 4 full days, close enough to see the wildlife (and people) on shore.
The ship is offering a day-long flight and landing excursion from Punta Arenas, Chile to land on Antarctica should you wish to do so.
Additionally, a separate excursion can be purchased from DapAir for around $7500USD pp pre or post cruise.
If you don’t think you can make it 16 days without internet, then this is exactly why you need to go on a 16-day cruise without the internet. We’re so caught up in technology and social media that we don’t have time to reflect on what’s essential in our lives and careers anymore. Think of this as a time to disconnect and focus on the things that matter most… the bigger picture of our lives, our families, and our careers.
But, if you reaaaaaaally can’t disconnect, Princess Cruises has recently released their new MedallionNET service, which promises Unlimited Internet @Sea — perfect for uploading all those penguin selfies!
It’s surprisingly very expensive to put on a professional conference. This is why most professional conferences cost so much to attend. However, with AntarctiConf, most of the large expenses (e.g. food, venue, accommodations) are covered by your all-inclusive cruise package. The rest, we’re covering ourselves and with the help of a few sponsors and volunteers.
Absolutely! We are interested in talking to anyone who is willing to help sponsor AntarctiConf. We plan to use any sponsorship money to help cover conference costs and provide speakers with a small gift for their efforts. If you’re interested, please visit our sponsorship page.
Yes, we’d love to have your assistance! If you’d like to participate in AntarctiConf but are not interested in public speaking or sponsoring, we have plenty of opportunities for volunteers. If you’re interested, please send us a message.
Unfortunately, we do not anticipate having a sufficient budget to cover travel and expenses for speakers. However, if we can secure enough sponsors, we would be happy to provide speakers with a stipend to help cover their costs.
Itinerary:
Date
Sun, Jan 5 — Santiago ( San Antonio), Chile
Mon, Jan 6 through Wed, Jan 8 — At Sea
Thu, Jan 9 — Punta Arenas, Chile
Fri, Jan 10 — Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego), Argentina
Sat, Jan 11 — Cape Horn (Scenic Cruising)
Sun, Jan 12 through Wed, Jan 16 — Antarctic Peninsula (Scenic Cruising)
Thu, Jan 16 — At Sea
Fri, Jan 17 — Falkland Islands (Stanley)
Sat, Jan 18 & Sun, Jan 19 — At Sea
Mon, Jan 20 — Montevideo, Uruguay
Tue, Jan 21 — Buenos Aires, Argentina
If you still have questions, please be sure to send us a message on our website.
Want to help us bring this to life? Help us sponsor this event and have your brand featured.
If you have any questions or would like to speak, volunteer, or sponsor at this event, please contact us.
