The Denver Gold Forum kicked off at the Hyatt Regency in Denver, CO on Sept. 16 with gold prices hovering around $1,500/oz.

The conference is celebrating its 30th year and continues to draw the top seven-eighths of the world’s top publicly traded gold and silver companies to the invitation only event.

During the first day of presentations, Kinross Gold Corp. chief executive officer Paul Rollinson said he believes the gold sector has established a new floor of $1,500/oz. Rollinson spoke with Reuters at the event and said the company now has the confidence to push ahead with expansion plans for its Tasiast gold mine in Mauritania, West Africa.

The company plans to spend $150-million to boost capacity to 24 kt/d (28,000 stpd) by 2023.

The first day of the conference featured numerous presentations from gold mining companies providing updates about operations that are scattered around the globe and even more one-on-one meetings. On Tuesday, the two largest gold mining companies in the world are scheduled to speak.

Barrick Gold president and CEO Mark Bristow is scheduled to speak at 10:10 am to a room that will surely be packed with professionals eager to hear his update about a busy year for the Canadian company.

Tom Palmer, Newmont Goldcorp’s incoming president and CEO is slotted to speak after Bristow.

During a busy year, Newmont and Goldcorp merged and Newmont and Barrick Gold Corp. formed a joint venture for operation of the two companies’ mines in Nevada.

“As the world’s leading gold company, Newmont remains focused on keeping our people safe, while growing our profit margins through operating, technical and financial discipline,” said Palmer. “We will also generate value for our shareholders by leveraging Newmont’s leading land position and exploration program in favorable jurisdictions to grow our Reserves and Resources.”