PDAC 2021: The world’s largest mining show goes virtual

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impose travel restrictions and limitations on the size of gatherings, large and in-person events in Canada are challenging to hold.

With this in mind, the 89^th Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference shifted to cyberspace this year as the world’s largest mineral exploration and mining event decided that a virtual event would be safer than getting over 23,000 people together in a conference hall.

The annual conference, which brings together mining executives, geologists, analysts, investors, students, and government officials, will be held online and aims to offer attendees the same ability to connect with the global mineral exploration and mining community.

InvestorIntel returns again this year as a PDAC 2021 media partner.

Virtual PDAC

PDAC plans to offer over 100 hours and more than 100 sessions of unique content. Similar to previous years, the online event will be divided into different programs including Capital Markets, Investor Exchange, Presentation Rooms, Sustainability, Geoscience, and Short Courses.

An advantage of the virtual conference is that the platform will be available 24 hours a day and, after the “live” presentations are finished, the content will be available on-demand for three months following the conference.

With thousands of companies attending and presenting, even as a virtual attendee, preparation is key when “exploring” for the next investment “gem”.

Presentations for Investors

The Corporate Presentation Forum for Investors (CPFI) is changing for 2021 and will combine insights from industry thought leaders such as John Kaiser of Kaiser Research and Frank Holmes of US Global Investors, with links to selected company presentations.

To allow attendees to focus on specific commodities, the CPFI Showcase groups together similar companies into categories: base and energy materials, diamonds, gold explorers, gold producers, royalty companies, silver, and uranium.

Other key sessions and events for investors include:

• Capital Markets Program

  • “Profits with a Purpose” with Aline Cote of Glencore, Mark Bristow of Barrick Gold, and Evy Hambro of BlackRock.

• Letter Writer Presentations for Investors

  • Rick Rule of Sprott, Brent Cook of Exploration Insights, and Gwen Preston of Resource Maven.

• Keynote speakers

  • “The Fate of Gold Deposits” with Douglas Silver of Flydentity.

During these presentations, attendees can participate in group discussions and breakout rooms, and connect with the speakers. Companies will have virtual booths with chat rooms and the ability to book 1-on-1 meetings with the exhibitors.

Questions to Ask Exploration Companies

The Investors Exchange returns in a virtual format, allowing investors to connect with leading junior mining companies, mid-sized producers, and major mining companies, to discuss investment and project potential.

Even at a virtual conference, plan to ask companies questions. Key factors when deciding to invest in an exploration company include:

• Deposit: What commodity is the company targeting? What is the grade? How far below the surface is the mineralization?
• Location: Where is the deposit located? Is it located in a mining-friendly jurisdiction? Is it accessible year-round? Is it near power?
• Management: Does the management team have experience with that specific mineral? Have they been successful in the past? Who leads the company’s exploration efforts?
• Funding: Do they have the cash in the bank to fund exploration for the next 12-18 months? How much financing will they require?

Virtual Entertainment and Cocktail

PDAC also wants attendees to enjoy the social side of the conference and included a variety of entertainment including musical acts, tours, and interactive events.

For example, hosted by an award-winning mixologist, the Peru Cocktail event includes learning how to create Peru’s famous signature cocktails. Don’t forget to have a bottle of Pisco and all of the ingredients at the ready.

Save the Date – PDAC is from March 8-11

The PDAC convention is scheduled to run this year from March 8-11.

To learn more about the virtual conference and download the PDAC 2021 Preliminary Program, you can visit the PDAC Convention webpage.

To register for the event, you can visit the PDAC Registration webpage.

Hope to see you “virtually” there!