The Explorers Club hosts the “Davos of Exploration” at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in Ottawa

Press Release

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 11, 2025  – The Explorers Club and Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) have joined forces to host the Global Exploration Summit (GLEX), a three-day gathering of the world’s foremost explorers, scientists, and storytellers, in Canada – the first time the summit has been held in the Americas. GLEX opens Friday, September 12 at 50 Sussex Drive, Ottawa – headquarters of the RCGS and Canadian Geographic. The summit will showcase groundbreaking discoveries, celebrate Indigenous leadership, and highlight Canada’s significant role in the history and future of exploration.

The event brings together an extraordinary roster of speakers—from astrophysicists and paleontologists to Indigenous leaders, conservationists, and record-setting adventurers, and an audience of hundreds of other exploration leaders from around the world.

“GLEX is the Davos of exploration and we wanted to host it in Canada this year. Canada has played such a vital role in the history of exploration, and we collectively felt that our Canadian brothers and sisters were not getting the proper recognition or love they deserve from their neighbors to the south,” said Richard Wiese, President of The Explorers Club.

“With a dearth of enlightened leadership globally, it is more important than ever to build cross-border alliances with organizations dedicated to scientific inquiry and the health of the planet. The Explorers Club is a legendary institution with a fellowship that continues to push the boundaries of knowledge. We are honoured at this critical moment that they would opt to host their most important summit in Canada,” said John Geiger, CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

Speakers over the three-day event include:

• Dr. Brian Cox, British physicist and acclaimed BBC commentator
• Dr. Louise Leakey, a Kenyan paleontologist doing groundbreaking work on human origins and continuing the legacy of the Leakey family.
• Valérie Courtois, leader of Indigenous led conservation and stewardship in Canada
• Prof. Sara Seager, Canadian astronomer and planetary scientist
• Hubert Sagnières, French and Canadian corporate leader, explorer and author.
• A panel on the discovery of historic shipwrecks with Mensun Bound, David L. Mearns, Jonathan Moore and John Geiger.
• Dr. Charles Emogor, Nigerian biologist and conservationist working to protect pangolins.
• Hari Budha Magar, Nepalese double amputee on climbing the Seven Summits.
• Oliver Steeds, on protecting our ocean’s final frontier through deep-sea exploration.

Schedule: Friday, arrivals and interview opportunities, Saturday-8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.50 Sussex Drive, Sunday 8:30-12:00 50 Sussex Drive, Ottawa.

To speak to Richard Wiese or John Geiger, or to arrange interviews with some of the renowned explorers attending GLEX, please contact: Rosemary Thompson, Vice President, External, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, (613) 240-6739, rthompson@rcgs.org

ILR5