What to expect from the Technical Sessions at Roundup 2019
The Technical Sessions are one of the main reasons that people attend Roundup and we pride ourselves on the high-calibre and technical content of these presentations. Returning in 2019 are the favourites – the Regional Overviews, the Commodities Session and New Geoscience. We spoke with David Gale, chair of the Roundup Organizing Committee, about what to expect this January.
What topics will be covered in the new sessions, Base and Precious Metals?
In these two separate sessions, the focus will be on the respective commodities and attendees will learn about the technical aspects from projects based in Canada, the United States and abroad. People who attend our Precious Metals session will learn specifically about gold and silver projects while the Base Metals session will cover a broader range of commodities that could include copper, zinc, lead and nickel.
What made the Roundup Organizing Committee decide to choose these new themes for technical sessions?
We decided to change to the new format to more effectively appeal to our membership. Typically, explorationists are focused on a specific commodity but can vary the jurisdiction where they choose to focus their efforts. For example, in our Precious Metals session, attendees will be able to learn details about other types of gold and silver projects.
What can attendees expect to learn from these sessions?
As with previous Roundup conferences, the focus in these sessions will be on the technical aspects of the various exploration projects. We make an effort to secure speakers who have a detailed understanding of the geology and who are able to clearly share their knowledge. People who attend these two sessions will achieve a greater understanding of a variety of mineral projects.
What is the biggest challenge in this market at the moment?
One of the biggest challenges currently facing our industry is securing funding for exploration programs. Companies with high-potential projects need funding to apply innovative exploration techniques. Testing these ideas can lead to discoveries which will provide the momentum that our Industry needs.
What are the biggest opportunities in this market at the moment?
The biggest opportunity in the current market is the availability of projects with high exploration potential. The opportunity will be to marry these projects with consistent sources of funding to allow for multi-year, disciplined exploration programs.
How has the market changed in the past five years? What comes next?
During the last five years our industry has benefited from the major and mid-tier mining companies directing their exploration dollars directly into early-stage companies. Companies like Goldcorp and Barrick Gold are taking minority share ownership in companies, which results in robust and potentially stable funding. If this financial support continues over the next five years, companies have the potential to make new discoveries which will bring the investors back to the mineral exploration industry.
What else would you like to highlight for Roundup 2019?
Roundup 2019 will continue to provide technical content that strives to make us better explorers. Our highly successful Innovation session introduced at the 2018 Roundup Conference will be back with updated content and a suite of presentations. The Project Generator Hub, positioned alongside of the Prospectors Tent, will be a must-see destination for geologists who are looking for new ideas or drill-ready projects. Finally, the Core Shack will continue to feature drilling projects from all over the world.