Solutions sharing at heart of Las Vegas international mining show

This year’s MINExpo International event is themed Technology and Solutions for Today and Tomorrow, which is ultimately what the event’s more than 1 900 exhibitors of equipment, parts and services for the global mining industry will showcase, national trade organisation National Mining Association (NMA) tells Mining Weekly.

The NMA is the sole sponsor of the quadrennial international event spanning more than 78 038 m2, which first began in 1935 at the Palmer House, in Chicago. This year’s MINExpo will take place from September 26 to 28 at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, in Nevada, in the US.

The event emphasises the need for solutions that make it possible for the mining industry to overcome challenges and capitalise on the opportunities in a rapidly changing world ever in need of metals, minerals and energy.

“Solutions are found at MINExpo 2016, with imaginative new products and services, innovative technologies and learning from the expertise of others. That is why leaders, managers and decision-makers from the mining industry come to MINExpo every four years,” states the NMA.

MINExpo incorporates live demonstrations, product displays, technological revelations and education sessions, and the NMA expects about 40 000 people to attend this year, with registration opening on September 25.

“We are very excited about the anticipated strength of participation of this year’s exhibitors and attendees. Early attendance indications suggest the show will be almost as big as the blockbuster 2012 show,” states NMA external communications VP Luke Popovich.

The NMA is excited about the event’s potential to help attendees and exhibitors enrich their experience, stating that MINExpo will not only expose attendees to new equipment and technology but also “excellent opportunities” for networking and resolving operational issues.

“Technical experts, engineers and operations personnel attend the show to learn from one another, discuss future equipment needs and learn about future trends,” states Popovich.

Delegations are also expected from more than 120 countries, including Algeria, Ghana, China, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Tanzania and Ukraine.

To accommodate these delegates, MINExpo boasts an international business centre, which will provide, among other services, translators to facilitate communications in Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Arabic; private rooms to conduct business; and US Department of Commerce international trade experts to provide counselling and answer import and export questions and facilitate contact with specific show exhibitors.

MINExpo is considered “unique”, owing to the significantly large mining equipment on display, with manufacturers on site about 40 days before the show starts to assemble equipment in the lots surrounding the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Popovich explains that the venue, therefore, needs to have doors that are 35 m high and floors that can handle significant loads. “It takes a lot of planning by the companies and is a large commitment of personnel, time and money.”

Exhibitors that will showcase their products and services at this year’s event include manufacturer and distributor of conveyor rollers Megaroller, global supplier of surface and underground mining simulators ThoroughTec and distributor of Fuel-O-Mat automated fueling solutions Gilbarco AFS.

Information about each exhibitor can be found in the directory on the MINExpo website, along with floor plans. The exhibitor list can be searched by company, country, key words and products.

The event’s opening session on September 26 brings together mining industry leaders to discuss the impacts of recent market conditions and the industry’s significant role in global development, prosperity and sustainability.

Participants in this year’s MINExpo opening session are Hecla Mining president and CEO Phillips Baker, Freeport-McMoRan Americas and Africa mining president and COO Harry “Red” Conger, Contura Energy CEO Kevin Crutchfield, Joy Global president and CEO Ted Doheny, Newmont Mining president and CEO Gary Goldberg, as well as Caterpillar group president for resource industries and MINExpo 2016 chair Denise Johnson.

The session will be moderated by Fox News analyst and Fortune Most Powerful Women International chair Nina Easton.

The event will also include education sessions from September 27 onwards on industry challenges, such as the regulatory and legislative issues faced by the US mining industry. This is one of 20 such sessions on various topics.

Expo App
The MINExpo mobile application (app), released last month, is provided by the NMA to make the most of attendees’ time at the event. It is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices under MINExpo 2016. The app includes exhibitor, session and other show information. Popovich advises that attendees take the time to plan their visit and use the tools provided by the organisation to use their time effectively.

Attendees can get up-to-date show details; timely information on educational sessions and events; product category, booth number and company information of exhibitors; and details of US exhibitors interested in exporting. Attendees can also view integrated floor plans of MINExpo’s 12 exhibition halls.

The NMA states that it is the only national trade organisation that represents the interests of mining before Congress, the administration, federal agencies, the judiciary and the media – providing a clear voice for the US mining industry. Its aim is to build support for public policies that will help the US to use its coal and mineral resources fully and responsibly.

Headquartered in Washington DC, the NMA has a membership of more than 300 corporations and organisations involved in various aspects of mining. The organisation provides a forum for these diverse industry segments through which they can be informed, heard and represented.