DRAWING THE CROWDS More than 100 delegates have confirmed their attendance for this year’s conference
Botswana-based conference organiser Capital Conference’s Botswana Resource Sector Conference 2014, which will take place at the Gaborone International Conference Centre, in Botswana, from June 10 to 11, is set to attract more than 400 global delegates, says conference coordinator Emma Rynn.
Confirmed sponsors and companies giving presentations at this year’s conference include Vancouver-based copper hopeful Hana Mining, Canadian precious stone miner Lucara Diamond Corp, TSX-V-listed diamond explorer Pangolin Diamonds, Botswana-based coal exploration company Shumba Coal, ASX-listed energy developer African Energy, Botswana diamond miner Debswana Diamond Company, coal-bed methane and unconventional gas explorer Tlou Energy, Sydney-listed energy exploration and development company Magnum Gas & Power and Australia-based Discovery Metals.
Rynn tells Mining Weekly that delegate bookings opened in mid-January and, at the end of January, more than 100 delegates had confirmed their attendance at the conference, while more bookings were being received daily.
“More than 50% of the confirmed delegates are from African countries, such as Botswana and South Africa, while the others mostly represent the UK, Australia and the US,” she notes.
The conference, which this year will run for its eleventh consecutive year, provides “an incredibly valuable networking forum” for all players involved in Botswana’s resource sector, as it brings together resources companies, the Botswana Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, as well as suppliers and potential investors.
“This year, we have organised an expanded coal industry discussion breakfast and there will be opportunity for delegates to attend a coal industry course on the Monday prior to conference,” says Rynn.
During last year’s conference, there were in-depth presentations by several mining and exploration companies, including Hana Mining, Pangolin Diamonds, diversified junior Walkabout Resources, Botswana-based Debswana Diamond Company, TSX-V-listed diamond, base and precious metals exploration company Tsodilo Resources, private exploration company Shumba Resources, ASX-listed coal developer Hodges Resources, diamond producer Gem Diamonds, Botswana-focused gold producer Galane Gold, Aim-listed diamond explorer Botswana Diamonds, salt supplier Botswana Ash, ASX-listed resources development company Aviva and Botswana-focused uranium hopeful A-Cap Resources.
Additionally, energy development and exploration companies, such as Tlou Energy, independent oil group Puma Energy Botswana, exploration company Minergy Magnum Gas & Power and African Energy, delivered presentations.
Banking firm First National Bank and Gaborone-based private economic and development consultancy Econsult also delivered presentations relating to the state of the resources sector in Botswana.
“Anyone with an interest in Botswana’s resources sector should attend this year’s conference,” Rynn concludes.