The Invitations Are Out
The review of the abstracts received for the IPY 2012 From Knowledge to Action Conference is completed and letters of acceptance have been sent out. In total 837 oral presentations have been accepted and 1222 posters.

A little reminder that the deadline for authors to confirm their acceptance and register is January 20, 2012. Note that this deadline cannot be extended due to Program requirements. If you have not done so already, please register today or contact the Conference Secretariat at IPY2012montreal-abs@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.

Action Forums
As part of the “Knowledge to Action” theme, conference organizers have been busy planning several Action Forums that will create space for interactive discussions on critical issues facing the Polar Regions. These discussions will integrate views and perspectives from a variety of sectors, including industry, policy, civil society, community members and others. The Action Forum topics will include: the future of polar science, shipping, offshore oil and gas, mining and major projects, healthy communities, community infrastructure, fisheries, education and space technology and earth observations.

The Action Forums will be organized as interactive roundtables, with senior thought leaders and practitioners interacting with each other and the audience to address the key challenges and opportunities related to the session theme. Final decisions on the themes, schedule, and participants for the Action Forums will be made available shortly. To provide input, please contact Area 3 Program Chair Danielle Labonte at Danielle.labonte@queensu.ca.

Watch out for FrostByte!
As part of the IPY 2012 Conference, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists is inviting everyone to catch FrostBytes. FrostBytes are short abstracts of your research recorded as an audio file, slideshow or video. All conference attendees are invited to create a FrostByte to help share information about your research and attract delegates to your poster or oral presentation. FrostBytes are easy to make and the first ones are already posted. Check them out on our Conference You Tube channel. They will also be linked with the abstracts on the website. Prizes will be awarded for the best FrostByte at the Conference Banquet. For more information on how to get started, see the FrostBytes section of the APECS website.

Call for Film Entries
Send us your latest polar film creation. The Canadian Film Institute has opened a call for entries for a Polar Film Festival. An event not to be missed, the Polar Film Festival will take place during the Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings (April 24 and 25) and will be open to Conference attendees and Montrealers alike. The Canadian Film Institute is seeking recent polar film creations which feature the rich diversity of the polar regions. All genres are welcomed from film, video, documentary, fiction, animations, etc. For more information, contact Jerrett Zaroski at zaroski@cfi-icf.ca.

Be Part of an International Photo Contest
In honour of the third and final conference to close International Polar Year, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society is proud to present "Cold Snap" - an international polar photography competition. This is an opportunity for you to share your best pictures of your travels and work in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The contest is open to photographers around the world, and will showcase the best pictures of Polar Research, Wildlife, Landscapes, and Exploration. Visit the website of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for contest details and information on awards.