A Big Year for the Annual PDAC Convention in Toronto
– Momentum Public Relations – Stephanie Boucher
Today marked the last day of the PDAC Convention 2016. The four-day international event is the world’s leading convention for people, companies and organizations in mineral exploration. Hosted yearly in Toronto, the convention brings together 1,000 exhibitors and over 23,000 attendees from around the world. In addition to the conference, attendees could also take part in an exciting lineup or programs, including short courses, technical sessions, corporate presentations, investor exchange, a trade show and social networking events.
Because of its size, the convention is the place where players in the mining industry come to do business, find jobs or investment opportunities. The internationally renown event attracts executives, government officials, prospectors, analysts, investors and brokers from all over the world, with attendees from the United States, Australia, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and South Africa, to name a few, which represents more countries in attendance than at the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. “It is an iconic event for the city of Toronto that provides huge tourism opportunities and injects upwards of $60 million each year into the local economy,” said Rod Thomas, president of PDAC.
This represents such an important event for the city that the Toronto Stock Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange opened and closed the markets from the floor of the PDAC Convention. Delegations from around the world were invited to open and close the market every day. Other notable highlights included a De Beers Canadian diamond display and the Royal Canadian Mint celebrating their 100-year anniversary by introducing new proprietary anti-counterfeiting technology. Visually stunning-minerals from the Kirwin Collection from the Royal Ontario Museum were also displayed at the convention’s trade show, open to the public.
The yearly event also serves as a meeting place for experts within the industry. “It’s a huge networking opportunity,” said Rod Thomas, president of PDAC. “It’s the one time of year when people in the industry can count on seeing all their colleagues from around the world, face to face, and a lot of deals get done as a result.”
This year, the convention had reasons to celebrate. Unlike in previous years, the metal market prices are no longer falling, and share values in many sectors have been climbing since January. Even the junior gold market is showing strength amid some market turmoil. After years of industry decline, there was a sense of optimism at the PDAC Convention, which moves in tandem with industry trends. “We’ve started to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. There’s optimism there, and I haven’t felt that for the past three years,” added Thomas.
About PDAC
Established in 1932 in response to proposed government regulation, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) represents the Canadian mineral exploration and development Industry. Today, the national organization has over 7,000 individual members and over 1,000 corporate members. The PDAC strives to promote a responsible, vibrant and sustainable Canadian mineral exploration and development sector. They encourage leading practices in technical, environmental, safety and social performance in Canada and internationally. During the convention, PDAC elected eight new members to its board of directors.