Coal Age Magazine - For more than 100 years, Coal Age has been the magazine that readers can trust for guidance and insight on this important industry.
Issue link: https://coal.epubxp.com/i/668539
As Ben Franklin said, "When you're finished changing, you're finished." The sentiment is particularly fitting to the cyclical, ever- transforming coal industry. With many peri- ods of market waxing and waning over time, adaptation has become the norm — but resiliency has always been a constant. It is no surprise, then, that the Coal Prep 2016 annual exhibition and confer- ence is moving on to a different venue for the first time in its history, leaving the l o n g r o w s o f p o s t - a n d - b o a r d f e n c e i n L e x i n g t o n f o r t h e b r i g h t l i g h t s o f L o u i s v i l l e . S e t f o r A p r i l 2 5 - 2 7 a t t h e Louisville Exposition Center, the event is attracting a domestic and international audience from across the coal prepara- tion and processing sectors. According to the show director, Florence Torres, the move from the for- mer venue of Lexington Center was a necessity for two reasons. First, the event had simply been gradually outgrowing the space; Torres said is was "bursting at the seams" in the years before the indus- try downturn. Second, the facility's own- ers has been planning a significant renovation that forced Coal Prep officials to begin to examine alternatives a couple of years ago. "Louisville became an obvious option," she said, adding that the announcement of the move and benefits was received positively — so positively that the event went ahead with the move despite the ren- ovation funding not coming through for Lexington Center. " A m o n g t h e b e n e f i t s o f t h e m o v e include [a] proximity to the prospering I l l i n o i s c o a l b a s i n , b u t y e t n o t t o o f a r away from the Appalachian roots; easier air travel for international and domestic attendees; [and] for those who drive, it may prove closer for some, yet only an hour additional drive-time for others." S h e a l s o n o t e d t h a t t h e K e n t u c k y Exposition Center exhibit space offers an even playing field, with contiguous hall s p a c e , a n d h a s n o w e i g h t r e s t r i c t i o n s that Lexington is challenged with. Torres noted that, as expected with ongoing market volatility, its vendor ros- ter has scaled back; as of March 31, there were 128 exhibiting companies. Expected attendance has also declined. However, at the same time, Coal Prep still main- tains a high international interest, with represented companies this year includ- ing China, Mongolia, Canada, Mexico, C a m e r o o n , T u r k e y , U . K . , A u s t r a l i a , Georgia, Norway and South Africa. The exhibition and conference is still drawing interest from across the U.S. as well. "[The] leading states for attendees continue to be West Virginia and Kentucky," Torres said. "As expected, Illinois attendance rose slightly given the new location in Louisville, but Pennsylvania attendance also rose com- pared to previous years — by 15%." Coal Prep officials have made a few adjustments to the agenda and overall plan for the event (see more beginning with "Coal Prep Schedule At-a-Glance"), including streamlining the workshops and technical sessions; however, in the case of the technical sessions, the topics as more buzzworthy than ever before. A g a i n , t h e k e y w o r d i s a d a p t a t i o n t o what's going on in the industry, Torres c oa l p r e p p r ev i e w B Y D O N N A S C H M I D T , F I E L D E D I T O R 22 www.coalage.com April 2016 Coal Prep 2016 Overview Despite the market, the show's outlook is positive as its readies to welcome attendees to new Louisville home The Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville is serving as host of the 2016 Coal Prep event from April 25-27. Workshops Workshop 1: Introduction to Coal Preparation When: Monday, April 25 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Speaker: Michael Evans Room: C105 Workshop 2: Plant Performance Testing When: Monday, April 25 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Speaker: Dr. Barbara Arnold Room: C109