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News Release
The PDAC International Convention, Trade Show and Investors Exchange had
another record-breaking year in March 2008 with delegates from 108
countries and an attendance of 20,162. Included in the delegate
attendance number were more than
700 students. For the first time the
convention was held in the South Building of the Metro Toronto
Convention Centre. The larger venue allowed the PDAC to accommodate even
more exhibitors than in previous years.
A total of 1,212 companies exhibited at the
convention:
587 in the Investors Exchange,
359 in the Trade Show and 60
in the Core Shack. The technical sessions, open sessions, exchange forum
and PDAC/CAMESE (Canadian Association of Mining Services for Export)
Exhibitors Innovation Forum had a combined total of 267 participating
speakers.
Convention highlights included:
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signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
between the PDAC and The Assembly of First Nations which lays the
foundation for industry to work cooperatively with First Nations and
aborignal communities;
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Gary Lunn, Federal Minister of Natural
Resources, addressing the opening session of the convention and
promising his support to the industry;
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luncheon speakers Bjorn Lomborg, Copenhagen
Consensus Centre and Tom Albanese, Chief Executive Officer, Rio
Tinto;
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introduction of the Skookum Jim Award honouring
aboriginal excellence and achievement in support of the Canadian
mining industry. Guests at the
Awards Evening dinner received a dreamcatcher in honour of the aboriginal theme and inaugural award
presentation; and
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Women in Mining became first-time exhibitors in
the Trade Show and hosted a networking reception that included an
address from Sue Hebert, Ontario’s Deputy Minister of Northern
Development and Mines.
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