第九届亚太地质公园网络研讨会时隔19年重回兰卡威，600名参会者齐聚LICC
Full circle
第九届亚太地质公园网络（APGN）研讨会于2026年9月7日至10日在兰卡威国际会展中心（LICC）举行，来自22个国家的600名参会者参会，这是该网络成立19年后重回发源地兰卡威。会议收到23个国家的220多份摘要，包含190个口头报告和31个海报展示，并在无柱大宴会厅及多个分组会议室同期举行四大主题平行会议。9月9日参会者还前往基利姆喀斯特等地质森林公园开展实地考察。
Event brief
The 9th Asia Pacific Geoparks Network (APGN) Symposium 2026 was aimed at strengthening cooperation among UNESCO Global Geoparks while promoting sustainable geotourism, education, conservation and community development.
This year’s edition marked a significant milestone as it returned to its roots in Langkawi, 19 years after the network was founded there.
Held at Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC) from September 7 to 10, 2026, the symposium brought together 600 participants from 22 countries, including geopark managers, scientists, community leaders and other stakeholders, for a programme of presentations, discussions and networking, complemented by field experiences across Langkawi’s geopark landscape.
The event was organised by the Asia Pacific Geoparks Network, in partnership with Langkawi Development Authority and Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark.
Event highlights
The symposium at LICC featured more than 220 abstracts from 23 countries, comprising 190 oral presentations and 31 poster displays.
The scale and variety of the programme required LICC’s event space to accommodate multiple formats simultaneously.
Its 1,660m2 pillarless Grand Ballroom hosted plenary sessions, while six breakout rooms and divisible meeting spaces enabled four concurrent thematic streams covering geotourism and public education, heritage conservation, geopark governance and management, and social and community development.
LICC also hosted the poster presentations and Geopark Fair across its exhibition, foyer and repurposed parking area.
Derek Gomez, general manager of The St. Regis Langkawi and LICC, said: “LICC was well suited to the symposium, with its spacious, pillarless ballroom for plenary sessions, flexible meeting rooms for concurrent technical tracks, and dedicated areas for VIP hosting, media and event administration. The foyers and themed culinary breaks also provided opportunities for participants to connect and exchange ideas between sessions.”
The programme extended beyond LICC on September 9, when delegates participated in field trips to Kilim Karst, Machinchang Cambrian and Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park, connecting the conference experience with Langkawi’s geopark landscape.
Challenges
Recalling the challenges, Gomez said: “Accommodating the symposium’s multiple programme components within LICC required us to maximise our available spaces. We did this by using our flexible meeting spaces for concurrent thematic sessions and converting the parking area into exhibition space, expanding the footprint available for the Geopark Fair and other displays.”
Another operational challenge was coordinating the technical and logistical requirements across the simultaneous sessions.
Gomez shared: “We addressed this by deploying technical teams from LICC to manage connectivity, audiovisual infrastructure, staging, sound, lighting, presentation support and translation, while St. Regis Langkawi’s event specialists coordinated guest flow, room sequencing, catering and on-ground execution.”
Event 9th Asia Pacific Geoparks Network
Organiser Asia Pacific Geoparks Network
Venue Langkawi International Convention Centre
Dates September 7 to 10, 2026
Attendees 600
来源：TTGmice · ttgmice.com