Port Days 2017 & East Coast Energy Connection to feature Keynote Luncheon Speaker Sarah Irving

Port Days 2017 (June 4 to 6) and East Coast Energy Connection 2017 (June 6-7) will feature keynote luncheon speaker Sarah Irving, Executive Vice President & Chief Brand Officer of Irving Oil on Tuesday, June 6^th at the Saint John Trade & Convention Centre.The Port Days Keynote Luncheon is hosted in partnership with Saint John Region Chamber and the East Coast Energy Connection (ECEC) as the closing business session for Port Days and the opening business session for ECEC.As an added feature of the luncheon this year, port officials will also present the 20^th Anniversary Port Award of the Year to Arthur Irving. The Port Award of the Year is given annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to the Port of Saint John.“We are extremely pleased and proud to have both Arthur and Sarah Irving share the stage for Port Days 2017.  The legacy of the company is unprecedented in our port community and the personal commitment and contribution of Arthur Irving during his life as a leader for Irving Oil is exemplary,” said Phil Brewer, Chair of the Board for Port Saint John.“In planning for this year’s event, we at Port Saint John unanimously agreed that there could be no better recipient of the 20^th Anniversary Port Award of the Year than Arthur Irving. Irving Oil products are the largest portion of the annual volume of cargo at Port Saint John. Without Irving Oil’s significant contribution to total volume, this Port could not achieve and continue to maintain the ranking of the third largest Port in Canada,” said Jim Quinn, President & CEO of Port Saint John.“We’re incredibly thrilled that Sarah Irving will be speaking,” says David Duplisea, CEO of the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce. “Her participation in the conference is highly anticipated and we look forward to her insights. ECEC continues to be one of the leading cross-border energy events connecting leaders and stakeholders in the energy sector from across Canada and the United States.”

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Media contacts:Paula Copeland, Manager of Corporate Communications, Port Saint John, 506-650-5288, Email: pcopeland@109.199.110.97David Duplisea, CEO, Saint John Region Chamber, 506-634-8111, Email: dduplisea@thechambersj.comBackgrounderPort Days 2017 & East Coast Energy Connection 2017Since 2014 Port Days and East Coast Energy Connection have joined forces to bring a high caliber keynote speakers to their shared luncheon event.  While the Port Days business events close with the keynote on June 6^th, East Coast Energy Connection business programming begins with this shared luncheon event.More about Port Days 2017 business programming:Port Days 2017 business sessions take place the morning of June 6 and will feature speakers covering a diverse range of topics in the areas of Canadian-American relations, the economy, supply chains in transition, and building sustainable tourism business.  Port Days provides the port and city an opportunity to welcome delegates from around the world to Saint John to experience our renowned hospitality, learn from each other, and discover new business opportunities.The full schedule and biographies of speakers for Port Days 2017, as well as a link to register, is available online at www.sjport.com/portdays.More about East Energy Connection (ECEC) 2017 business programming:East Coast Energy Connection (ECEC) takes place on June 6-7, 2017. Themes include: Emerging Trends in North American Energy, Energy and the Impact of Carbon Pricing and Atlantic Link opportunities, with each track posing interesting questions about the challenges and opportunities being faced today by the energy sector.For more information on ECEC 2017, as well as to register please visit www.ECECconference.ca