It’s hard to believe that the PDAC 2016 Convention is already two months behind us. This was my second year attending the convention in my role as the association’s Executive Director and I’m so proud to lead an association that is not only the voice for Canada’s mineral industry, but also the world’s.
This year was another highly successful event that left many feeling a vibe that has been absent in recent times—optimism! Could it be that the worst of the industry slump is behind us? The murmur among the crowd, industry experts and media indicated that it just might be. A welcome notion encouraged by rising gold prices and more than 22,000 attendees from 125 countries.
Our annual convention remains the most-attend annual mining industry event in the world. It boasts the title of being the largest and most prestigious of its kind for the sector. Remaining the top-choice is no coincidence.
There is a team behind-the-scenes who stay at the cutting edge of everything influencing our industry. They are responsible for sourcing experts from across the world and assembling them all in Toronto to share their knowledge at the convention, ensuring that you have a networking event that is unrivalled.
In 2016, the lineup grew. The World Economic Forum and PDAC co-hosted the inaugural International Mines Ministers Summit (IMMS) which brought together 16 national Mines Ministers from around the world. Led by Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jim Carr, the IMMS provided an important setting for the international mining community to discuss and work on resolving issues affecting the industry.
This year offered another outstanding lineup that included returning and new additions, such as:
- A portion of the visually stunning Kirwin Collection of minerals on loan from the Royal Ontario Museum.
- A display of rough, cut and polished Canadian diamonds by De Beers Canada.
- The Royal Canadian Mint who celebrated 100 years of history in Trade Show North.
- Gianni Kovacevic who showcased his Tesla, which he then drove to Tesla headquarters in California as part of his Realistic Environmentalist North America Tour.
- The Toronto Stock Exchange which returned to open and close the stock markets from the convention floor.
At the closing of convention Rod Thomas handed over the presidency reins to Bob Schafer, who becomes the 35th president of the PDAC. I’d like to express my gratitude to Rod for his efforts while I settled into my role at the helm of the association, and for his outstanding dedication and hard work on behalf of our members for the betterment of the Canadian mineral exploration and development industry.
Thank you to everyone involved in making the PDAC 2016 Convention another event to remember. I look forward to seeing you again in 2017, March 5-7.