The SME held its annual convention this year in combination with the Colorado Mining Association and reports that the meeting, held February 25-28, in Denver, Colorado, “exceeded expectations. Total attendance was 4,601. 390 exhibiting companies used 505 booth spaces to make the exhibit a must see.”

Highlights included the SME’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, where the Mining and Metallurgical Society generously donated $50,000 towards the MMSA/SME Presidential Scholarship. The first scholarship will be awarded at the 2008 SME Annual Meeting & Exhibit.

The SME/CMA Keynote Session: Energy’s Influence, featured C. Stephen Allred, US Dept., of the Interior, Fredrick Palmer, Peabody Energy, Ken Nemeth, Southern States Energy Board and Gary Schmitz, Colorado Energy Forum discussing pivotal energy issues for the industry.

More than 336 companies have already reserved exhibit space for the 2008 meeting and programme development is underway. The 2008 SME Annual Meeting & Exhibit will be held February 24-27, Salt Lake City, Utah. The keynote theme is New Horizons, New Challenges.