GDS International Brings Top Executives Together for its Fourth Next Generation Latin American Summit 2012

BRASILIA, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

On 12^th to 14^th November 2012, GDS International's fourth Next Generation Mining Latin America (NG Mining LA) Summit will unite a selection of executives from the region's foremost mining companies to discuss the most pressing issues in the industry today. (http://www.latinminingsummit.com/)

Latin America's mineral-rich land has generated a significant amount of interest over recent years. With Brazil leading the way in terms of mineral production, this lucrative industry has fast become one of the region's most important economic activities, leading to economic self-sufficiency in a lot of countries. This growth is, however, is not without its pitfalls. Intensive mining provoked by a voracious global appetite for minerals has both boosted the region's GDP and made the finite nature of such reserves increasingly more apparent. Sustainable development and intelligent investment are subsequently proving key to long-term profitability.

The NG Mining LA Summit will address sustainable development and other emerging issues present in the Latin American mining industry today. This year's program combines high-level roundtable discussions with next generation technology solutions that have been carefully selected to address core challenges faced by decision makers in the sector. Executives in attendance will be given the opportunity to network and participate in a variety of comprehensive workshops and peer-led panel discussions that will cover a range of key industry issues, such as innovative technologies in mining, productivity, cost reduction, talent management strategies, government leverage, and health & safety standards, to name but a few.

Mathias Peña Grez, Summit Director for the event run by GDS International, believes that the fourth NG Mining LA Summit is poised to set the benchmark for future events in the industry. "We're very proud of the NG Mining Latin America Summit. Every provider has been carefully selected based upon their investment priorities, and the fact that this is an invitation-only summit allows us to strictly control the outcome of it. This year we are bringing a combination of world recognized providers and regional providers together. They will not only be involved in the discussions as experts in their field, but participate in one-on-one meetings with the C-level executives among the delegation to discuss their individual needs - making it a perfect combination of business, networking and education."

This year's focus is on inviting key executives from some of the most relevant new projects happening in Latin America. Notable attendees are Pol Guzman, Project Director of Newmont Mining and Dr. Fernando Puntigliano, Country Manager of Uruguay for Zamin Ferrous. Pol will be representing the Conga Project, a $4.8 billion project taking place in Peru. Dr Puntigliano is representing the $3 billion Aratiri Project, the biggest investment in Uruguay. Other executives attending the summit include Vicente Irarrazaval from Anglo American, Rodrigo Quental from Vale, Ernesto Balarezo from Hochschild Mining and Pedro Garcia of EBX.  

Vicente Perez, Acting Director of Research and Policy Planning for the Chilean Copper Commission, attended January's summit this year.  He was particularly impressed by the level of synergy he achieved with the other companies at the summit, saying: "The biggest benefit for us was the opportunity to discuss current issues happening in different countries. A lot of those issues correlate with our own challenges in Chile, and the summit gave us the chance to mindshare with other countries to find the best solution."

Pedro Fernandez, Regional Director for Dupont, was another delegate in attendance at the summit. He had this to say: "The NG Mining LA Summit has given us the opportunity to interact with current and potential clients, and develop business opportunities that are specifically tailored specifically to our needs. Having this benefit alone has proven to be invaluable and has justified our investment tenfold."

For more information, please visit: http://www.latinminingsummit.com/

About GDS International

GDS International is one of the most innovative events and media companies worldwide - and a globally renowned producer of business-to-business summits, conferences, online information and advisory group gatherings. Founded in 1993, GDS International specialises in meeting the B2B marketing needs of our clients. Having a strong presence in mature industrial sectors but a finger on the pulse of emerging markets - as well as up-and-coming B2B business verticals - means we are perfectly placed to capitalise on the exciting developments brought about by the advent of a globalised economy. Our value proposition is simple: we deliver tangible business results from world-class events.

http://www.gdsinternational.com/

Contact: Rachel Sandeman

rachel.sandeman@gdsinternational.com

0044-1179-261-421