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PDAC Convention 2003
Optimism was the prevailing mood at this 2003 PDAC convention, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Canada, from Sunday, March 9 to Wednesday, March 12. Among the 8,000 delegates, exhibitors, visitors, and guests - a record attendance - there was undoubtedly the sense that the exploration industry had come into its own again and that one of the worst downturns that the industry had ever experienced was at an end. The Trade Show was bustling, with 280 companies and governments exhibiting and exhibit personnel eager to provide information about their services, equipment, and jurisdictions. In the Investors Exchange, 225 exploration and mining companies took booths. The success of this part of the show has been climbing every year, but organizers were staggered by this year’s participation level of both companies and walk-in investors. According to one analyst, “the place was packed, noisy, congested and exciting.” The Exchange Forum where company presentations were made and an Investor Forum on the concluding day of the convention drew large crowds.
Diamonds were highlighted during the technical program, with an afternoon devoted to discussion of their financing and discovery. Gold also took the spotlight, with a morning session focused on global developments and discoveries and an afternoon session that included papers on the gold price outlook, undeveloped projects and production trends. The technical program also highlighted developments in China with a full session covering the country’s geology and regulatory environment and the experiences of explorationists and producers working there. Copies of those papers and presentations in the technical program that have been made available by their authors can be accessed here. The convention also saw the successful launch of e3, the PDAC’s online resource on Environmental Excellence in Exploration. There was much interest in the special e3 demonstrations which were being conducted for the duration of the convention and subscription sales were brisk. Media coverage of the convention was unprecedented. Close to 70 journalists in attendance ensured that the event received daily coverage in Canada and was reported throughout the world. The PDAC would like to thank all those individuals and companies who contributed to the enormous success of this year’s convention. These include our sponsors, speakers, exhibitors, planning committee, volunteers and staff, members of the Women’s Association of the Mining Industry, Toronto, and our many suppliers. Finally, congratulations to our 2003 awards winners who received their awards at a lovely awards banquet during the convention and to Marie-Lynn Savoie, the lucky winner of the draw for a Canadian diamond, worth approximately $15,000 and donated by BHP Billiton Diamonds. |
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The convention attracted a
significant number of delegates and exhibitors from overseas
with some 74 countries represented. Foreign delegations came
from Australia, China, Burkina Faso, India, Mongolia, Iran,
Russia, and South Africa.
