The growth potential of the EuroMining Trade Fair lies in internationalization

THE NEXT MINING TECHNOLOGY TRADE FAIR WILL BE IN TAMPERE IN 2017

The international mining technology trade fair was held in Tampere on 20 and 21 May 2015 with 1760 professionals from some 30 countries. There were 127 exhibitors from 17 countries. The event was more international than ever before. The trade fair was organized by Tampere Trade Fairs Ltd together with the Finnish Association of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers and the Tekes Green Mining program. The next EuroMining Trade Fair will be held in the spring of 2017.

“The challenging situation of the mining industry was reflected in the event as the number of visitors dropped from 3,800 to under 2,000, which of course did not match our expectations. It should, however, be taken into consideration that mining investments have decreased since 2011 and annual basic investments are approximately 200 million euros, which naturally affects how active mines are. What is positive is the fact that according to the feedback the visitors who did visit the event were just the right kind. In other words, people were happy with the quality. We were particularly praised for the increasingly international atmosphere. We had companies from 17 countries and during the two days we had visitors from some 30 countries, so the event really was very international. In the future we will focus on making EuroMining even more international because it is also important for the exportation of Finnish mining technology. We believe that the 2017 EuroMining Trade Fair will show signs of growth, even though the current situation is challenging. The foundation has been created and we will continue developing the mining technology trade fair,” says Project Manager Mikael Wänskä of Tampere Trade Fairs Ltd.


The growth potential of the EuroMining Trade Fair lies in internationalization 

The opening speaker Ari Juva, Secretary General of the Finnish Association of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, highlighted the international nature of the EuroMining Trade Fair and its importance considering the future.

“The first EuroMining Trade Fair two years ago began a tradition that still requires a lot of hard work to become strong. Our industry is going through a tough period, just like our entire country and Europe, and thus it is understandable that the number of exhibitors was now a bit lower than two years ago. It is very important to make this event more international. This has to be emphasized so that this event can be developed and grown in the coming years. I have heard people wonder if there are too many events for this industry in Finland. I personally believe that there are not too many, but just the right amount. They are, after all, held in different years and in different places and have their own profiles, so I believe that they all serve a purpose in the selection of Finnish trade fairs. For me internationalization is the most important factor when developing this event and EuroMining has gotten off to a good start. The greatest potential lies in internationalization, so it is something we really have to work for,” says Ari Juva, Secretary General of the Finnish Association of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. 

According to Pasi Järvinen of Robit Rocktools Ltd, an exhibitor company that was recently listed on the stock exchange, the event attracted a nice amount of international participants during the two days and the company's new products aroused interest among the visitors. According to Thabo Mbokazi of TIBMS/Halo Solutions, which was also one of the exhibitors, the trade fair turned out to be a very good event where he had an opportunity to establish valuable contacts and sell the company's products.

Peter Darling, editor of the Mining World publication, also visited the event and stated that Tampere is without doubt the centre of Finland’s mining industry and as one of Scandinavia’s most vibrant industrial hubs the city once again hosted the successful EuroMining Trade Fair.  The compact space and focused program enabled extensive networking between the international and Finnish visitors and exhibitors.

Read Peter Darling's EuroMining article and watch videos from the trade fair: www.euromining.fi.


Environmental Contribution of the Year 2015 Award went to Agnico Eagle Finland Oy's Kittilä mine

The EuroMining opening seminar included the presentation of the Environmental Contribution of the Year 2015 Award to Agnico Eagle Finland Oy's Kittilä mine which is the largest operating gold mine in Europe. The Environmental Contribution of the Year Award is given to a mining industry operator that pays attention to environmental matters in an exemplary manner. The award recipient is selected by the EuroMining Delegation which this year consisted of Elias Ekdahl (Director General Emeritus), Mika Riipi (County Governor of the Regional Council of Lapland), Sakari Kallo (Chairman of the Finnish Association of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers) and Teija Lahti-Nuuttila (Director of the TEKES Green Mining programme). The award was accepted by Anita Alajoutsijärvi, Agnico Eagle Finland Oy's Manager of Sustainable Development. 


Media material: 
Opening seminar materials, press releases, exhibitors' media materials as well as links to photos and videos can be found on the event website at www.euromining.fi (Media). 

The EuroMining 2015 Trade Fair brought together mining, quarrying, geology, beneficiation and processing as well as metallurgy professionals. The event provided an overview of the entire production chain's main prospects. The EuroMining Trade Fair was organized by Tampere Trade Fairs Ltd together with the Finnish Association of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers and the Tekes Green Mining program.


FURTHER INFORMATION: www.euromining.fi
Twitter: @TampereenMessut, #EuroMining, 

Tampere Trade Fairs Ltd, www.tampereenmessut.fi

Mikael Wänskä, Project Manager, tel. +358 40 350 0445, 
mikael.wanska(a)tampereenmessut.fi

Raimo Pylvänäinen, Project Manager, tel. +358 400 671 923, 
raimo.pylvanainen(a)tampereenmessut.fi

Tanja Järvensivu, Communications Manager, tel. +358 50 536 8133,
tanja.jarvensivu(a)tampereenmessut.fi

Meri Mattila, Communications Assistant, tel. +358 400 914 877, 
meri.mattila(a)tampereenmessut.fi