Whilst Kalgoorlie has always been at the heart of the gold industry in Western Australia, at the Diggers & Dealers forum taking over the town next week, battery metals will dominate the presentation schedule – for the first time ever.
Work started more than three weeks ago to erect two marquees – one that’s massive – in the local arts centre car park, and carpet squares have been laid earlier this week, with panels being set up to define company booths.
A giant screen has also been installed to broadcast the 65 scheduled presentations across the site and those presentations would be relayed globally.
Forum Chairman Jim Walker has been involved with Diggers & Dealers for nearly 30 years.
“That’s all happening now, it’s a major operation in logistics,” he said.
By Monday, the town’s population of nearly 30,000 will swell by an extra 2800 attendees. Half of those will be miners, 35 per cent will be mining contractors and industry suppliers and the last 15 per cent will be brokers, bankers, financiers, investors and fund managers.
There’ll be some journalists in the mix too: The Market Herald will be there keeping you all updated.
The forum will host 159 exhibiting companies across two giant marquees.
Mr Walker said the focus on the transition to electric vehicles had reached a milestone this year.
“For the first time in the history of the event, the number of gold companies on the presenter programme has been surpassed by miners of another mineral group, battery metals,” he said.
“What this signifies for me is that we have a very diversified country in terms of metals and commodities and that augurs well for us for the future and the longer term.
“This presenter line-up, along with 159 exhibitors across the two marquees, offers an excellent opportunity for delegates to expand their network and find the opportunities for the year ahead.”
It’s the event of the year for the inland city with about 150 private homes rented to delegates, but still, getting late-minute accommodation is almost impossible. There’s a Gala Dinner for 1330 held in the marquee on the final night and that’s completely sold out.
“On the Wednesday about midday we pull all the exhibitors out of the tent to make way for 1330 people and a three-course sit-down meal,” Mr Walker added.
“We have caterers there, we also charter a plane of people from Perth to help with serving guests and we also involve local TAFE hospitality and catering and high school students.”
Next Monday morning’s keynote speaker will be Dr Linda Yueh CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire).
Taipei-born Dr Yueh is an economist, writer and broadcaster for the BBC. She is a Fellow in Economics at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University, and an Adjunct Professor of Economics at London Business School. She has been a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and Peking University, as well as an Adviser to the British Board of Trade.