The MINEXCHANGE 2022 SME Annual Conference and Expo, set this year for February 27-March 2, will be hosted at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, after being held virtually in 2021.
The organizer, the Society for Metallurgy, Mining and Exploration (SME), will welcome an estimated 5,500 visitors, which will be present to attend a packed schedule of technical sessions and visit the 600-plus exhibit booths.
Following a welcome event and limited show hours on Sunday, Feb. 27, SME 2022 will officially kick off with a pair of keynote presentations beginning Feb. 28 at 8:30 a.m. First to take the stage will be Ambassador Todd Chapman, an international business consultant, speaking about “The Undiplomatic Truth: Mining Missing the Mark on Securing Popular Support” to reveal how international governments and local communities are demanding more of operators, as well as the complexities of securing the needed social license to ensure sites can be operated without interruption.
Now retired, Chapman – a 30-year diplomatic veteran – was most recently a U.S. Ambassador to Brazil and Ecuador and will be presenting on his experiences working with governments, indigenous communities, environmental activists and mining companies to find profitable outcomes. He will also share how Brazil, Ecuador and Mozambique operators have worked at all levels of government and society to obtain this support.
The second presenter, the Robert E. Murray Innovation Lecture presenter and award winner for 2021, will be George Hemingway, managing partner and head of innovation practice for Stratalis.
Named a top 10 leader in mining technology, Hemingway has presented over 100 keynote speeches on innovation, uncertainty and the future of the industry. A top mining futurist, he has collaborated with numerous mining companies to help set future visions for them and aid in re-imagining what is possible.
There are also four scheduled signature lectures. The first will be held March 1 beginning at 7 a.m. with speaker Sarah Sladek presenting a learning session on empowerment and skill building. A second lecture, also scheduled for March 1 but kicking off at 7:30 a.m., will feature Hugh Thatcher, who serves as chief counsel for the United States for Rio Tinto. His presentation is entitled “Mining’s Social License in an ESG World: Why Environmental, Social and Governance Programs are Here to Stay and How Health and Safety Can Both Anchor and Elevate an ESG Program” and will adjourn at 9 a.m.
The third event, the Operators Forum, will be held at 3:30 p.m. on March 1 and will include John Uhrie of Doe Run; Anthony Staley of Horsehead; Jayson Ripke of Doe Run; and project manager Tom Rausch.
The final speaker session, the Dreyer Lecture, is “Navigating the Hurricane of the Junior Resource Market in the Search of Ore Deposits” and will feature Corvus Gold president and CEO Jeff Pontius.
“Over the past four decades, the business of exploration and discovery has changed in many ways,” SME said of the presentation. “The discussion that follows will examine the shift in the discovery process from internally funded, production company groups to that of the emerging, public market funded, junior explorer.”
The discussion will focus on key fundamentals for discovery and, more specifically, for the junior sector from the perspective and experience of Pontius.
“This history includes producer discoveries like Cripple Creek in Colorado as well as junior discoveries such as Livengood in Alaska and Bullfrog in Nevada. Many of the key elements of these discoveries are similar with high quality on the ground geologic work, aggressive drill programs and agile, real-time project management. The key differences are those associated with funding and management on the path to delivering shareholder value,” the organizer added.
The conference portion of SME 2022 will begin on Feb. 25 with several short courses, but themed sessions on coal and energy; bulk material handling; health and safety; environmental; research; processing; exploration and more will begin in meeting rooms on Feb. 28 and continue both morning and afternoon on the remaining days of the event.
On the final day, March 2, the expo floor will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (see box for all expo hours). Technical sessions will conclude that day at 5:00 p.m.
North American Mining looks forward to seeing you at SME 2022! Visit our exhibit space at Booth 1131.
SME 2022 Plans
Each year, SME’s conference and exhibit attracts such a diverse crowd from so many places across the world that companies often use the opportunity to bring their technical teams to answer questions or offer demonstrations, or even announce new products and services.
North American Mining recently spoke with a few companies about their focus for SME, and for Metso Outotec, it will be its sustainability solutions. The company, which will be at Booth 921, said its showcase will be its Plant Positive portfolio of its most environmentally efficient technologies, parts and services.
The company also has invited visitors to experience its new Virtual Inspection tool for horizontal mill linings and get a hands-on look on how the company is bringing the benefits of 3D scanning to a new level.
“We have interesting technical presentations such as ‘Froth Launder Modification at Kennecott Copperton Concentrator’, presented by Rio Tinto and co-written with Metso Outotec. We hope to see you at the 2022 SME Foundation Annual Gala; Metso Outotec is proud to be the exclusive sponsor of the cocktail.”
Another company, OEM Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas, confirmed it will have its team available at Booth 2631 for the duration of the show.
“Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas Inc. (HCMA) is now fully headquartered just south of Atlanta in Newnan, Ga; the facilities we continue to build here will power our reach well into the future,” the company said of its most recent news. “Our success is and will be defined by our ability to continually equip our customers with reliable solutions.
“As one of the leading providers of Mining Solutions, Hitachi offers an assortment of high-performing products and services that help augment operational performance and overall productivity. From fleet management systems that render real-time visibility, establish control over mine operations, to supplying highly engineered, intuitive, excavators and haul trucks, our mining solutions portfolio ensures the safety of your operators, your site team, and your bottom line.”
A third company NAM spoke with, MineSense, will be spotlighting its ShovelSense product at SME and will be available to answer attendees’ questions.
“MineSense is leading the new era in smart mining by supplying, real-time, sensor-based ore sorting for mines,” the company said, highlighting that ShovelSense, its signature solution, is a robust sensor and data collection system installed on mining equipment to scan and measure the grade of the material in each bucket, generating data that automatically reroute trucks by identifying ore in waste and waste in ore.
“The increased real-time visibility of your orebody provided by ShovelSense is proven in mining operations globally to generate more payable metal and drive improvements in your mine’s efficiency, profitability, and sustainability,” officials said. “MineSense is proud to sponsor the International Reception at…SME.”
SME Show Exhibition Days and Times
Sunday, February 27, 2022
Exhibit Hall Hours 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Exhibit Hall Grand Opening Reception 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Monday, February 28, 2022
Exhibit Hall Hours 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Exhibit Hall Lunch 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Exhibit Hall Hours 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Exhibit Hall Afternoon Social 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Exhibit Hall Hours 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Exhibit Hall Lunch 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM