Promoting Geosciences: Effective Communication Strategies for the International Geological Congress (IGC) 2028 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The International Geological Congress (IGC) 2028 is returning to Canada, after an absence of over 50 years (1972, Montreal). Hosted in Calgary, Alberta, this will mark the first IGC to be held in western North America. We look forward to showcasing our “Gorgeous Geology” and “Legendary Landscapes” with the world’s geoscience community. Field trip opportunities include the Mohorovic discontinuity and glacial fjords in UNESCO World Heritage Site (UWHS) Gros Morne National Park (Newfoundland), the Carboniferous Forests at UWHS Joggins Fossil Cliffs (Nova Scotia), the Logan Line separating the Appalachians from the Grenville Province of the Canadian Shield in UWHS Quebec City (Quebec), the Cretaceous Dinosaur fossil beds at UWHS Dinosaur Provincial Park (Alberta), and evidence for the Cambrian Explosion of Life in the Burgess Shale surrounded by glaciers across the UWHS Rocky Mountain Parks (Alberta/British Columbia). Potential Indigenous cultural day trips from Calgary include Blackfoot Crossing, UWHS Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, and UWHS Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, also known as the “Blackfoot Archives” because of the thousands of pictographs throughout the park.

Here we report on the overall communications plan, starting with phase one leading into IGC 2024 in which a powerful social media presence became the potential game-changer to connect with the target audiences such as the national and global geoscience community, as well as the general public. This connection built brand awareness while unearthing enthusiasm for the destination and program. Stage one for the social media campaign involved a recent three-month social media campaign with daily bilingual postings on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube. Social media was important for achieving the goals of: i) promoting Canadian geosciences, ii) highlighting the conference tagline “Geosciences for Humanity” and iii) building awareness about the Canadian bid. During IGC 2024 the social media team also promoted the events that happened at the Canadian Booth and Reception, reflecting Calgary’s renowned hospitality such as the White Hat Ceremony swearing in 30 IGC delegates as honorary Calgarians. This strategy united the international geoscience community, emphasizing the collaborative spirit that we aim to foster for IGC 2028.

The stage two of the social media (post-bid) campaign started at the end of 2024. Weekly themes promote Indigenous and geotourism offerings across Canada, with three weekly postings to showcase content. After winning the bid to host IGC 2028, interest from the local media was sparked after a press release led by the University of Calgary framing this as the “Olympics of the Geosciences”. Co-chairs Boggs and Eaton were interviewed on TV and Radio. Further press releases will follow in upcoming years to profile plenary speakers and advertise the Keynote Daily Themes (KDT) to local public schools and universities across Canada. KDTs such as “Space and Planetary Geosciences” will springboard off the Artemis II Mission which will be circumnavigating the moon in 2025 with Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen onboard.