For a few days every March, Toronto becomes the focal point for some 20,000 people involved in the world’s exploration and mining industry.
Geologists, prospectors, mining executives, equipment and service suppliers, bankers, insurers, investors, civil servants and politicians come from some 118 countries to attend the Prospectors and Developers Association of Toronto (PDAC) International Convention. For four days, they will attend a packed program of presentations, hold business meetings, network and socialize with colleagues. It is the world’s biggest mining convention and next year it takes place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from March 6 to 9.
The heart of the convention is its technical program, a continuous stream of presentations on a range of topics that next year will include diamonds, aboriginal engagement, the Canadian Shield, rare metals and the electric car, worldwide uranium deposits, geophysical techniques and mineral exploration in Africa.
Engagement and consultation with indigenous peoples is an increasingly important part of the mineral business. A half-day technical session will feature several case histories describing how Canadian companies are handling community engagement in different parts of the world.
Diamonds always fascinate and next year the spotlight will be on the “coming of age” of the precious stones, 21 years after they were discovered in Canada. Speakers will outline activities at Canadian diamond projects, as well as providing an overview of diamonds in India and southern Africa. At another session, presenters will discuss the important mineral deposits in the Canadian Shield, north of 60°.
During the convention, several countries host presentation rooms to showcase their mineral prospects, mining regulations and other matters that will attract outside investment. In 2011, Ecuador, Greenland, Peru and Brazil are among the countries hosting rooms.
The convention has several other components. It opens with the commodities and market outlook, where experts discuss their expectations for gold, silver, iron ire, copper/molybdenum, platinum group metals, uranium, potash and nickel.
At the Trade Show, exhibitors promote a range of products, the most innovative of which are showcased at the Exhibitors Innovation Forum. The Trade Show also houses pavilions and booths where countries from around the world, as well as Canada’s provinces and territories, highlight their attractions for the mining sector.
At the nearby Investors Exchange, the general public and convention attendees can talk to investor relations and management personnel about the prospects for some 600 companies. They can find indepth analysis at the Investors Forum, and physical evidence of a company’s finds at the Core Shack.
Two thought-provoking speakers headline the convention’s luncheons. Eric Sprott, CEO of Sprott Asset Management and a 40-year veteran of the investment business, will address the Mineral Outlook Luncheon on March 7, while Lawrence Solomon, founder and managing director of Energy Probe Research Foundation, speaks at the PDAC-CIM (Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum) Luncheon on March 9.
The convention is not all work. Attendees will spend their after-hours at parties and networking events, culminating with the closing gala on March 9. Then it is back to the office or the exploration or mine site, wherever in the world that may be, to share what they have learned with their colleagues.
