The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention is back in-person, and it’s the biggest yet.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be back in person,” said Lisa McDonald, Executive Director of PDAC. This year, the world’s annual premier mineral exploration and mining convention is occupying the largest footprint at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, across both the south and north buildings.
The team is expecting official attendance numbers on Wednesday, but so far, tracking online numbers looks to put the show back to pre-pandemic numbers, “A lot of folks register on-site,” she adds.
Highlights so far for the convention have been the Core Shack, a place where industry leaders select, via vetted process, the “cream of the crop” prospects for attendees to gain a hands-on experience of some potential emerging major deposits.
What is different this year from previous years?
“From a conversation standpoint, critical minerals is the topic that is top of mind for many people,” ED McDonald said. “The notion that we have a generational opportunity here in Canada to become the supplier of choice of minerals and metals that is required for that transition to the low carbon future has ignited everyone’s excitement and their imagination about what’s possible by our industry.”
She hopes that people will walk away with the understanding that if it’s not grown, it’s mined. “This is an industry that is an integral part of our economy and our lives. We have such a great sustainability program here within the convention, and we want folks to understand that we are a green industry and we are contributing to the future.”
The focus on gold has been met by investor attention focused on the potential of the lithium market. The ‘green revolution’ and post-pandemic re-focus on reducing emissions and overall ESG has had a significant impact on the automotive industry, with the electric car’s popularity growing through the roof.
From headshots to shoeshines, there is a robust student and early career program. “We recognize, at PDAC, that students are the future of the industry,” she said. “We have mentoring, we have resume reviews by professionals, we have tours of the floor of the companies that are hiring students. That is just a snippet of our student program.”
To find out more, visit PDAC.ca, and you can read the Preliminary Program here. PDAC runs to March 8, 2023, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and The Market Herald will be there live from the floor to bring investors updates on the show’s highlights daily.
