Save the Date: Virtual Island Summit Returns September 15-17, 2026

Virtual Island Summit (VIS), the premier free online conference for island communities worldwide, will return on September 15-17, 2026.

Now in its eighth year, VIS marks a significant shift from previous editions. The three-day event will follow a narrative arc, with each day building on the last and programming spanning time zones from the Pacific to the Caribbean so audiences everywhere can join live at times that work for them.
● Day 1, Adapt to Change, looks at how island communities are responding to conditions that have already shifted, from decarbonising marine transport and adapting to coastal erosion, to the generational knowledge and ocean governance practices that have sustained island communities for decades.
● Day 2, Transform Systems, examines the models and mechanisms already reshaping island futures: rethinking tourism before pressures become irreversible, turning waste into a circular local economy, reviving indigenous languages, and building food sovereignty in the face of import dependence.
● Day 3, Mobilise Action, turns to what moves people, capital and political will: the funding structures, coalitions and leadership approaches that turn plans into results.

The event is free to attend and open to the public, continuing the Summit’s commitment to accessible, Zero-Carbon knowledge sharing between islanders and global partners alike.

“The Virtual Island Summit is our flagship online event and we are proud to deliver a high-level knowledge-sharing platform that puts islands at the heart of global discussions,” said James Ellsmoor, Chief Executive Officer of Island Innovation. “The Summit highlights islands not simply as places facing shared challenges, but as places developing practical solutions with relevance far beyond their own shores. This year we are evolving the format to reflect how island communities actually work through challenges: understanding the problem, finding what works, and mobilising the resources to scale it. We want attendees to leave VIS 2026 with a clearer sense of where islands stand and what comes next.”

The first confirmed speakers for VIS 2026 include heads of government and senior policy leaders such as:
● Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam;
● Feleti Penitala Teo, Prime Minister, Government of Tuvalu;
● Cora Richardson-Hodge, Premier of the Government of Anguilla;
● Albert Bryan, Governor of the US Virgin Islands
● Jache Adams, Minister of Public Works and the Environment, Government of Bermuda;
● Hannah Mary Goodlad, MSP for Shetland Islands & Minister for Public Finance, Scottish Government;
● Chris Lee, Senator, Hawaii State
● Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā, Chief Executive Officer, Hawai’i Green Growth
● Rachel Kyte, UK Special Representative for Climate;
● Chris Elmore, MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Multilateral, Human Rights, Latin America and the Caribbean at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
● Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, President of the Corsican Assembly & President of the Islands Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR)

They are joined by researchers, educators and sector experts including:
● Dr Dai-Yeun Jeong, Director of the Asia Climate Change Education Center;
● Maria Ackrén, Director of the Stefansson Arctic Institute;
● Laurie Brinklow, Chair, Institute of Island Studies, University of Prince Edward Island, University of Prince Edward Island;
● Peter Van Aert, Researcher and Teacher at the Institute of Culture, Society and State, National University of Tierra del Fuego;
● Chalapan Kaluwin, Director of Momis Ocean and Climate Research institute & Dean of School of Sustainable Resources Management & Business Studies, PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment;
● Olly Newton, Executive Director of The Edge Foundation.

Additional speakers will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Previous editions have brought together heads of state, ministers, and senior practitioners from over 500 island communities across the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and beyond, drawing more than 10,000 attendees.

All sessions will be available free of charge. Registration is now open at islandinnovation.co/events/virtual-island-summit-2026.