This year marks the eighty-first edition of the yearly Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention and the organiser intends for it to once again be the world’s leading convention for the mineral exploration industry.

“Our goal is for it to be the premier networking and educational event for a thriving industry. While the PDAC anticipates robust attendance figures, the focus is on maintaining the quality of the convention, in particular of the technical sessions and short courses, rather than on increasing the number of participants,” reports PDAC president Glenn Nolan.

He explains that the first convention took place in 1932, the first year of the PDAC. By 1942, the event had grown into a day-long programme and was attended by about 150 people. In the following year the event was expanded to two days and in 1945, to three days.

“In the early 1990s, the PDAC began to build up an international reputation and the convention went international. Since then, it has become known as the premier global networking opportunity for the mineral exploration and development industry,” says Nolan.

In 2012, the total number of convention participants was 30 369, with 25% of those international attendees, which Nolan says reflects the evolution of the convention from a national event into an international one. Outside of Canada, the largest number of attendees in 2012 came from the US, Australia, the UK, China and Peru.

Nolan says that, this year, delegates can expect another tremendous networking and educational experience, including expanded programming, an impressive list of speakers for the technical sessions, and innovative touches such as the mobile convention app.

The PDAC convention is a convention, trade show and investors exchange in one.

Convention
The convention portion includes a technical programme, present- ations, short courses and workshops, a corporate social responsi- bility (CSR) events series, an Aboriginal programme and a student programme, as well as networking events.

The technical programme features talks by industry experts that reflect the PDAC’s year-round advocacy work as the industry association representing the mineral exploration and development sector in Canada.

The programme opens with the Commodities and Market Outlook session, and includes other sessions such as the keynote session on Risk and Reward in Mining Exploration and Development, Land Access Challenges and Solutions, Building Aboriginal Capacity for Economic Independence, Financing in a Volatile Market, Geophysics, and Ontario’s Ring of Fire: Unlock-ing Potential and Creating Oppor-tunity.

This year the convention is offering a record number of short courses to assist delegates with their professional development goals and to provide more oppor- tunities for attendees to learn about the industry. Courses will be offered on everything from health and safety to communications to geophysics.

The CSR Event Series, which is open to the public and free to attend, is in its fourth year in 2013. The CSR sessions provide a forum for learning and discussion, and cover a range of issues related to CSR in the mineral exploration and mining industry. Last year’s six sessions had standing room only, and interest in the series is expected to be high again this year. Organisers report the series is attracting increased interest as exploration and mining companies have recognised that CSR plays a central role in all their business operations. Companies are keen to learn from people who are engaged in CSR on a daily basis and who speak from direct experience.

The convention’s Aboriginal programme, which includes a tech- nical session, an Aboriginal forum, and the Skookum Jim Award, has been expanding and is growing in importance since its inception in 2006. The expansion of the programme is a reflection of the natural partnership between Aboriginal people and the mineral industry, say organisers, something the PDAC fosters in its programmes and advocacy work all year round.

“The Aboriginal programme offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for Aboriginal communities and companies, as well as representatives from the mineral industry, to come together and network, foster relationships and share knowledge,” says Nolan.

“It enhances industry awareness of Aboriginal affairs, and showcases success stories of partnerships and economic development. The steady increase in the direct involvement of Aboriginal people in the mineral exploration and development industry in Canada means the programme will continue to gain importance.”

As part of the PDAC’s work to address the mining industry’s looming human resources crunch, the association has developed a comprehensive Student programme at the convention. It offers students a unique opportunity to network with industry professionals from all over the world. In 2012, the con- vention attracted over 1 600 students from across Canada, the US and internationally.

In 2013, the popular student-industry networking luncheon is back, has increased in size and provides students the opportunity to mingle with industry profes-sionals and colleagues.

The student-industry forum also returns this year with a keynote address and a panel of industry experts. Students will be able to learn about the exciting range of career opportunities in the industry and take part in a question and answer session.

Trade and Investment
The trade show section of the event features 415 companies, organisations and governments promoting technology, products, services and mining jurisdictions worldwide and provides the opportunity for delegates to learn about the global mineral sector while walking the aisles of the trade show floor. The trade show receptions on Monday and Tuesday afternoon give attendees the chance to network over a glass of wine or beer on the show floor.

The investors exchange is open to the public and is free to attend, and is said to be the leading investment show dedicated solely to the mineral industry.

“The investors exchange gives an insider’s look at opportunities for business development, joint ventures, property acquisitions and financing within the mineral sector, and attracts banking executives, brokers and analysts, fund managers, government representatives, retail and institutional investors, senior mining executives and students,” says Nolan.

It includes more than 580 exhibitors; the prospectors tent, which features maps, samples and claim results of independent prospectors; and the core shack, which features the latest mineral dis- coveries from around the world.

Social events include an awards evening, a mining night, a gala and a series of three luncheons, which feature popular speakers such as Canadian Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Perrin Beatty.

More than 1 000 exhibitors will partipicipate in the 2013 event with 410 for the trade show and 580 for the investors exchange, prospectors tent and core shack exhibitors.

Exhibitors hail from across the globe, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greenland, India, Ireland, Japan, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Sweden, Tanzania, Tasmania, Turkey and the US.

The 2013 PDAC convention takes place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre between March 3 and 6.