As part of its ever-growing Thought Leaders podcast series, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. (SME) is pleased to announce the availability of a recent conversation with SME Executive Director David L. Kanagy. In an interview with Mining Engineering magazine Senior Editor Bill Gleason, Mr. Kanagy discusses the 2015 SME Annual Conference & Expo scheduled for Feb. 15-18, in Denver at the Colorado Convention Center. The 2015 Conference will be one of the largest industry events of the year, with more than 100 technical sessions, 628 professional papers and more than 900 booths, including 100 new exhibiting companies.“One of the best reasons for anyone to come to the SME annual meeting is for the opportunity to network,” stated Kanagy. “The opportunity to interact with more than 8,000 of your colleagues is unprecedented, along with exploring 900 exhibits featuring state-of-the-art equipment, innovations and technological advancements. Conference sessions will include coal and energy, bulk materials handling, environmental issues, geology, and forward-thinking health and safety programs. We’ll also look at industrial minerals and aggregates, in-depth issues associated with mining and exploration, metallurgy and mineral processing, as well as the current status of research in our industry.”

The theme for this conference is Mining: Navigating the Global Waters, and will include three distinct pavilions on the exhibit floor. Attendees from 43 countries will find the nearly 60 booths in the International Pavilion to be of special interest. The Recruitment Pavilion provides a forum for company representatives and those seeking employment opportunities to interact. This year the conference is being held in conjunction with the Colorado Mining Association, and the special Colorado Pavilion will highlight the role that Denver and Colorado-based companies play in supporting the mining industry globally.

The opening keynote session, The Mine of the Future: Forecasting Opportunities and Challenges for the Global Mining Industry, will feature industry leaders and pacesetters from the diverse sectors of coal, metal, industrial minerals, aggregates and equipment suppliers. Moderated by Peter Bryant, Senior Fellow and co-founder of the Kellogg Innovation Network, the keynote session will begin at 8:30 a.m., Monday, Feb. 16. The panel will address the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for each of the respective industry sectors in opening new markets, creating new products, cutting costs and improving efficiencies.

To listen to the entire interview with David Kanagy, as well as other Thought Leaders podcasts, please visit http://www.smenet.org/podcast/.