Polar Field Staff Conference
March 23-26, 2026
Lisbon, Portugal
Eurostars Universal Lisboa
The 2026 Polar Field Staff Conference is a joint AECO/IAATO gathering for guides and expedition leaders working in Arctic and Antarctic expedition tourism. Established in 2008, the conference offers knowledge exchange and skill‑building to support safe, responsible, and high‑quality field operations in the polar regions.
The 2026 PFSC is organized by AECO and IAATO in association with the Polar Tourism Guides Association.
Conference is Full—Sign Up for the Waitlist
Program
Empowering the Polar Guiding Community
Monday, March 23
18:00 Registrations
19:00 Welcome Cocktails
Tuesday, March 24
07:45 Registrations
08:15 Welcome, Opening & Ground Rules
08:45 AECO/IAATO Updates & Introductions
09:45 The “Why”
10:00 Coffee Break
10:15 Individual & Group Communication Skills
11:15 Giving & Receiving Feedback
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Cross-Cultural Communication
14:15 Coffee Break
14:45 Wrap-Up
15:30 Team Building: Urban Historic Expedition
19:30 Dinner
Wednesday, March 25
08:30 Intro Session
09:00 Situational Awareness
10:30 Coffee Break
10:45 Near Miss & Incident Learning
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Near Miss & Incident Learning (cont.)
14:15 Energizer
14:30 Coffee Break
14:45 Guiding Skills: Leading Hikes & Positioning
15:45 Community Visit Preparation: Proactive Communication
18:30 Dinner
20:15 Networking
Thursday, March 26
09:00 What’s Next?
09:30 Communications & Industry Culture
10:45 Coffee Break
11:00 Moving Forward: Training for the Future
12:00 Closing Remarks & Summary
12:30 Lunch
Last update: 06. March 2026