News Release

Early Registration up 50% for Mineral Exploration and Mining Industry’s Largest Annual Event

Toronto, December 21, 2011—Early registration numbers are up almost 50% from last year for the upcoming Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s (PDAC) convention, taking place in Toronto March 4 - 7, 2012. The surge in early registration reflects both the health of the mineral industry and the popularity of what has become the industry’s favourite networking and educational event.

“The convention has really hit its stride in terms of its place in the global mineral industry. Over the years it’s grown into the industry’s premier event. Last year we had over 27,000 participants from 120 different countries—we’re seeing very strong interest again this year, both at home and internationally, which is very exciting,” says PDAC President Scott Jobin-Bevans.

“Since the 1990s, the convention has really gone international. It’s remarkable the number of international delegates and exhibitors the convention draws,” says PDAC Executive Director Ross Gallinger. “Nowhere else are people in the mineral industry able to network and learn on this scale.”

PDAC 2012 convention highlights:

Technical Program featuring talks by industry experts on best practices
Trade Show featuring 405 exhibitors promoting technology, products and services
Investors Exchange, the leading investment show dedicated solely to the mineral industry, featuring 581 exhibitors
Prospectors Tent featuring maps, samples and claim results of independent prospectors
Core Shack featuring the latest mineral discoveries from around the world
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) event series, which provides practical insight into a range of issues affecting exploration and mining companies in Canada and abroad
Aboriginal Program, which includes a technical session and short courses, an Aboriginal Forum, and the Skookum Jim Award
Student Program, including the popular Student-Industry Networking Luncheon and the new-this-year Student-Industry Forum

“We look forward to another tremendous event in 2012, with expanded exhibition space and programming, an impressive list of speakers for our technical sessions, and innovative new touches like our mobile convention app,” says Gallinger. “It’s not just about increasing our numbers though—our goal is to maintain the quality of the technical program and the overall convention experience.”

Registration for the convention opened on December 1st. Early registration closes on February 3, 2012. For more information about the convention or to register, visit www.pdac.ca.

About the PDAC
The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) is a national association representing the mineral exploration and development industry. The PDAC encourages the highest standards of technical, environmental, safety and social practices in Canada and internationally. It has 7695 individual members (including prospectors, developers, geoscientists, consultants, mining executives and students, as well as those involved in drilling, financial, investment, legal and other support fields) and 1110 corporate members (including senior, mid-size and junior mining companies, and organizations providing services to the mineral industry).

For media inquiries, please contact:
Carolyn Foster, Communications Specialist
Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC)
416.362.1969 x233
cfoster@pdac.ca

For convention inquiries, please contact:
Denae Peters, Convention Assistant
Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC)
416.362.1969 x293
dpeters@pdac.ca

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