Looking forward to 2019

Happy New Year everyone. Last year was an interesting one, and there is also much to look forward to this year. Maybe the long awaited resurgence in the mining industry? Maybe Brexit was just a bad dream?

We have two important anniversaries this year. Amanda and I formed Minerals Engineering International (MEI) in January 1999, Jon joining us in 2003.

The first photo of the MEI team, June 2003 in Falmouth

And in October of this year I will 'celebrate' 50 years in the minerals industry. Time certainly flies!

There are 3 MEI Conferences this year, and MEI will also be represented at other events as a media partner.

In February I will be in Denver for the SME Annual Meeting. I am hoping there will be more mineral processors in attendance this year, as the meeting will host the International Symposium Reflections, Challenges and Opportunities in Minerals Processing, in honour of the 90th birthday of Prof. Douglas Fuerstenau. Prof. Fuerstenau will also be presented with the IMPC's Distinguished Service Award, and Prof. Jan Miller will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, as neither could attend last year's IMPC in Moscow to receive their awards.

In April I will be in Antalya, Turkey for the 26th Annual Mining Congress and Exhibition of Turkey.

Two of this year's MEI Conferences will be held back to back in Falmouth, Cornwall in June. Computational Modelling '19 will be followed by Physical Separation '19, and the deadline for abstracts for these events is the end of this month.

Computational Modelling '17 delegates exploring the Cornish coastal path

I am looking forward to returning to my alma mater, Leeds University, in September for  the European Symposium on Comminution and Classification (ESCC) 2019 and in October Amanda hopes to be in Fukuoka, Japan for the 23rd International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium.

And then in November we will be back in Cape Town for our 'big one', Flotation '19, a must for anyone involved in froth flotation. If you would like to present a paper at this major event, please submit your abstract no later than the end of May. A great opportunity to mix with the world's leading flotation experts, and also explore this diverse and complex country.

 

Enjoying one of the sundowners at Flotation '17

I am sure that as the year progresses there will be much more for me to report on, including the presentation to the 2018 recipient of the MEI Young Persons Award, for which nominations should be submitted by 1st February (posting of 13th December), and all of us at MEI look forward to catching up with as many of you as possible during our travels around the world.

Twitter @barrywills