SME’s annual Minnesota conference will take place in Duluth, MN at the Entertainment Convention Center from April 14-16. The event will bring together mining, metallurgy and mineral professionals from across the upper Midwest to discuss new advancement and technology shaping the industry.
The conference will feature a large trade expo with more than 150 exhibitors showcasing new industry technology. Technical sessions and plenary talks will center on mining innovation, sustainability and workforce development. Short courses will also be available, providing attendees with the opportunity to deep dive into environmental and processing topics.
The main event will occur on Wednesday, April 15 with the exhibit hall opening at 9:00 a.m., two hours after registration opens for the day. An hour later, the opening plenary session will kick off with Jamey Jones, science coordinator of USGS Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), discussing his recent work in the Lake Superior Region. Jones will highlight examples of how the new Earth MRI datasets have helped the USGS understand critical mineral potential below and above ground resources.
There will also be an ethics session prior to the opening of the exhibit hall. Scott Gischia, PE and PMP will discuss mining ethics in environmental practice. Gischia has more than 25 years of mining industry experience, focusing on multimedia environmental compliance and permitting to support complex projects. His area of expertise includes air emissions, water quality, wetlands and mineland reclamation, with direct experiencing with regulatory agencies.
Other events featured at the conference will include a student breakfast, networking lunch, MEC teacher education workshop and a silent auction. Attendees can also embark on an offsite tour of the ME Elecmetal Foundry on Tuesday, April 14. There will be two tours–from 9:00 a.m. until noon or 1:00 until 4:00 p.m.– showing live production of abrasion-resistant steel castings for mining and construction. Tour attendees will be provided with safety equipment, transportation, and food and refreshments.
Registration and exhibitor move in will open at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14. Short courses will be available later that afternoon, at 12:30 p.m. A welcome reception will also be available, at 5:00 p.m. that same day.
Early bird registration is currently available through March 5 and can be accessed at https://smemnconference.org/register/.
