PDAC Convention 2002

Global mining community came to the 2002 convention

For the 70th consecutive year, Toronto played host to the world’s mining and exploration community as the PDAC’s Annual Convention, Trade Show and Investors Exchange opened its doors for four days in March 2002. This event, a highlight in the minerals industry calendar, continues to grow in stature and gain momentum, both in Canada and internationally. Today it is regarded as the world’s premier meeting for the mineral exploration and development community, so important, in fact, that many companies and organizations are now arranging meetings, courses, and other events around it.

The international flavour of the convention was immediately apparent. In the trade show, delegates could visit booths set up by South Africa, Sweden, Australia, Greenland, New Zealand and many other countries. Among them, for the first time, was the Kosovo Department of Trade and Industry. International delegations were also on hand, notably two from China and, for the first time, the Ghanaian Minerals Commission. As well, the convention hosted mines ministers from Peru and New South Wales and the vice minister from Bolivia. Several Canadian politicians were also present. Among them, Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Natural Resources, who opened the convention and provincial and territorial mines ministers from across the country.

The number of participants attending this year’s convention was close to 7,000. The total number of companies and organizations in the trade show was 252, and in the very popular Investors Exchange, some 200 companies had display booths.

Diamonds were the big draw at this year’s show. An afternoon technical session on diamonds at James Bay brought a standing-room-only crowd to the huge plenary hall. A later Investor Forum presentation on the emerging diamond boom by John Kaiser, editor of the Bottom-Fishing Report, was similarly crowded. Another big diamond draw was The Great Diamond Giveaway which, for the third consecutive year, offered a breathtaking prize to a lucky delegate visiting the trade show. This year, the $15,000 one-carat Ekati diamond was won by David Elliott of Haywood Securities.

As usual, there were several adjunct activities around the convention. The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (Toronto branch), with PDAC sponsorship, organized a student’s Career Forum which gave university students a chance to meet and talk to people in the industry, and the Canadian Exploration Geophysical Society held its annual breakfast. As well, East and West hockey players clashed and slashed on the ice at the 37th Annual Dr. Norman B. Keevil Memorial Hockey Game.

Delegates comments about PDAC Convention 2002

The PDAC convention is the best convention of its sort-it brings majors, juniors and the service sector together. It’s a worthwhile investment in time and money, Paul Chamois, President, Candor Ventures Corp., Toronto, Canada.

I’m impressed by the number of people who attend the convention and the quality and wide variety of the displays. I’m also impressed by seeing government initiatives, especially the Canadian provinces, that are trying to encourage exploration, Dave Mason, Director, Exploration Promotion and Geological Survey, Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland Government, Australia.

There’s a great exchange of information at a variety of levels at the convention. I come because I want to get information, run into people I haven’t seen, know things I didn’t know. It’s very useful to me, Borden Putnam, Financial Analyst, Eastbourne Capital Management, San Francisco, California, USA.

The convention is a useful platform for our customers to get together and discuss things of value to the mining sector. This most international mining conference brings value to the Toronto Stock Exchange’s most international sector, which is mining. It’s a very strong forum for the exchange of information, ideas and capital for the mining sector, Helen Thomas, Director of Corporate Finance Services, Business Development Group, Toronto Stock Exchange, Canada

The organization of the convention is very good - you know what to do, where to go. I’ve always found it very successful for me in establishing new international contacts and it does attract investment interests in the resource business, Alexander Macdougall, Partner, Macdougall Consultants, Blyth, Ontario, Canada.

The convention is the one time that everyone from industry meets under one roof - it brings everyone together. It’s a good place for looking at the competition, potential clients and customers, and partners, Brian Main, Chief Operating Officer, Gedex Inc., Mississaugua, Ontario, Canada.

It’s very informative, both in terms of making new technology available to explorationists and in the way it brings awareness of projects and properties to the investment community, Kevin Olshefsky, Senior Geologist, Falconbridge Chile S.A.

Last year, we signed a couple of contracts during the convention using Russian and Canadian contractors. It was a convenient place for Falconbridge to bring them together, Andre Sliouniaev, Falconbridge East Ltd., Moscow, Russia.

I got all the information I ever wanted about mining and communications in mining at the convention, Bhekuzulu Khumalo, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

We had a core display that was well attended and the convention was very interesting, both on the networking side and in the variety of booths in the trade show. I found it well managed, Patrick Waters, Exploration Manager, Anglo American Exploration Philippines Inc., Baguio City, Philippines.

The convention is a great networking tool. Talking to people, making connections, is important when you’re trying to get things done. It’s also educational - its technical sessions offer a shortcut to reading all the journals, James Rogers, Chief Geologist at Eskay Creek Mine, Barrick, Smithers, British Columbia, Canada..

The convention is a great place to network with other mining companies and look for joint ventures. You get financial people, government people going there. As a tool for networking, it’s a great place with everyone gathered in one spot, Ian Walton, Chief Financial Officer, Aurizon Mines, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The convention generates new ideas. You can see what the competition’s doing, and see old friends, James Stephenson, President, Canadian Mines Investment Corp.

It’s the best forum in Canada for meeting past clients and future clients, showing off new technologies and renewing old friendships. We go to other trade shows but this is by far the best because it’s so international in scope. Our people come here from all around the world because of that scope, Bill Brown, Sales and Marketing, Fugro Airborne Surveys Corp., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

I’ve been to 28 consecutive conventions and you meet all the old faces there. Wandering around the Investors Exchange and bumping into people is worth the price of admission, Peter Tredger, Peter Tredger Consulting, Vancouver, British Columbia.

The PDAC is the premier convention for the mining and exploration industry. Most junior companies are based in Canada and quoted on Canadian stock markets, and most of them are represented here. They have projects around the globe and it is useful for me to be here for information and contacts, David Elliot, Managing Director, Diamond Tenders (Belgium Tenders) NV, Antwerp, Belgium.

There’s so much going on at a PDAC convention. There’s both depth and variety and it’s a great meeting place. When you live in a remote region like Kazakhstan, you feel isolated so the convention is a chance to meet people from all over the world. It’s the place where you can meet the decision-makers in person, Michael Wilson, Michael Wilson & Partners, Almaty, Kazakhstan

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