Conference will highlight mining in Southeast Asia (September 04, 1995)

Southeast Asia hosts some of the world’s largest mineral deposits, and the potential for further discoveries in the region will be among the topics addressed at a premier conference and exhibition hosted by The Northern Miner, to be held Sept. 19 and 20, at Toronto’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The conference, entitled “Southeast Asian Mining Opportunities,” is aimed at providing practical information and tips on how to break into and thrive in this vast, underdeveloped region. The event is being sponsored by Barrick Gold, Inco and the investment firm of Loewen Ondaatje McCutcheon.

The event is, in fact, far-removed from the traditional area of interest of The Northern Miner, which was once known as “the bible of Canada’s mining industry.”

According to Publisher Douglas Donnelly, the conference reflects the newspaper’s commitment to serve the North American industry in its global search for new mining opportunities. And, he says, the specific choice of topic was the result of research polling carried out within the industry several months ago.

“We asked the North American mining industry which areas they felt would be the investment and exploration hot spots of late 1995,” Donnelly explains. “The consensus was that the next hot spot would be Southeast Asia, and having identified this information need, we went on from there to develop an outstanding lineup of industry speakers.”

Among the highlights will be a keynote address entitled “Southeast Asia: The Next Ten Years” by Robert Friedland, chairman of Ivanhoe Capital and co-chairman of Diamond Fields Resources.

Specifically, the conference will focus on mining opportunities emerging in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and China.

Along with details of exploration and mining activity and the geological potential of each country in the region, delegates will be provided with information on tax issues and royalty regimes.

Environmental regulations affecting the Southeast Asian mining community will also be discussed, and information will be available on how to identify and attract financing for projects in the region.

An overview of Southeast Asia will also be provided by the conference’s chairman, John Steele of Yorkton Securities. And successful strategies for doing business in the region will be outlined by Lorna Wright of the Centre for Canada-Asia Business Relations. This presentation will focus on the basic cultural differences that can affect international business ventures in Southeast Asia, as well as traditional Asian understandings of contracts, scheduling, leadership and fairness.

A panel of banking and investment industry professionals will discuss financing options available for emerging market countries, political risk insurance, and the key issues and hurdles in obtaining bank financing.

“Our goal is not only to highlight the opportunities, but also the challenges of doing business in Southeast Asia,” says Donnelly.

For more information, phone Diane Giancola at (416) 445-6641, ext. 5412 or toll free 1-800-668-2374. Fax: (416) 442-2175.