The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) will host a landmark conference to discuss the future of the diamond industry, October 15-16. In particular, it will examine the changes that are likely as a result of the increasing power of producer countries.  

The conference, Producers in transition: the Changing Industry Dynamic, will take place at the Flanders Congress & Concert Centre in Antwerp, Belgium. It will address the major issues facing the diamond industry: whether the shift in power towards diamond producing countries will continue, and what impact this will have on mining companies, diamond cutting and polishing, diamond trading centres, diamond banking, and retailing. The conference has been designed to hear the view of all stakeholders at first hand.  

The conference will be addressed among others by Deputy Prime Minister of Angola Aguinaldo Jaime; South African Minister of Minerals and Energy Buyelwa Sonjica; Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz; Kimberley Process chairman Karel Kovanda; Sergey Vybornov, President of Alrosa; Gareth Penny, Managing Director of De Beers, and many other leading figures. The conference will also involve the leading mining companies and representatives of all other major producing countries.  

The keynote speech at the conference gala dinner will be given by development campaigner Bob Geldof. The gala dinner will be graced with the presence of guest of honor H.R.H. Princess Mathilde of Belgium and H.E. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the president of Liberia who was elected in 2005 and is Africa’s first elected female head of state.  

Bob Geldof follows in the footsteps of the major international figures who have been guest speakers at the gala dinner of the three previous Antwerp Diamond Conferences: former US President Bill Clinton, former US Vice President Al Gore, and South African President Thabo Mbeki, who in 2004 used the occasion to announce the imminent launch his government’s beneficiation programme.  

This forum will be an invaluable opportunity for all players in the diamond industry to gain insight and engage in the future of their industry. The AWDC has taken the lead to bring together such a diverse group of stakeholders from around the world to directly discuss the most important issue facing this industry.  

Further information, including registration is at http://www.antwerpdiamondconference.be