CHRISTOPHER WHITT

Christopher Whitt is first and foremost an ocean engineer and consultant with more than 15-years in the ocean tech industry. He also happens to be a past President of IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES) an organization dedicated to advancing oceanic engineering and related disciplines. 

Christopher was the leading force in bringing the world-renowned Oceans Conference and Exhibition, the largest conference of its kind, to Halifax in 2024. Over the four-day event, about 2,000 attendees engaged in a dynamic discussion about global ocean challenges. The program featured keynote speeches, technical sessions, panel discussions, and over 100 exhibitors. 

“It was very easy to be the champion for this event. Conferences that involve ocean technology are a natural fit for Halifax. We have a great mix of industry and academia here, great facilities, and lots of great support,” said Christopher. 

WHY THEY DID IT

“I wanted to make my volunteering more technically oriented,” said Christopher, “so I started volunteering with IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES).” An organization which he later became the president, and which introduced him to the international Oceans Conference. 

When it came to bidding on the event, “the timing was really good,” said Christopher. “The growth of the ocean tech community has solidified Halifax’s position as the centre of ocean technology in Canada and one of the centres in North America. Just as we were thinking of bringing the conference here, that was all just starting.”

Halifax boasts a thriving oceans sector valued at over $4.5 billion annually, supported by world-class research institutions and a collaborative community.

BIG OUTCOMES

Oceans 2024 General Chair, Christopher Whitt states, “I think Halifax pulled off one of the best Oceans Conferences in recent memory,” and we couldn’t agree more. The event attracted 2,000 attendees and contributed more than $3.7 million in economic impact for our city. 

The Conference also brought international attention to Halifax’s academic and private sector oceans communities, engaged government partners, and introduced our world-class facilities, which includes one of the largest natural harbours in the world. 

Christopher and his team at OES have already set their sights on some other conferences they’d like to see come to Halifax.