The numbers tell the story: More than 2400 delegates attended the three-day Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum in Kalgoorlie-Boulder this week.
They mingled in two marquees, which were decked out with 135 booths representing miners, explorers, services providers, stockbrokers and trade media.
The mingling and networking were interrupted regularly by one of the 55 corporate presentations in the Goldfields Arts Centre auditorium, which were beamed into the marquees – and to web visitors around the world.
More than 1000 delegates attended the gala dinner on Wednesday to celebrate some of the past year’s mining sector success stories.
Cannings Purple’s Investor Relations team arrived in Kalgoorlie-Boulder on Sunday night and left again on Thursday morning.
Everyone will have a view on Diggers & Dealers – Cannings Purple is a declared fan of the southern hemisphere’s most important mining investment conference.
How Investor Insight saw Diggers & Dealers 2021:
But what Diggers & Dealers demonstrated again this week was the benefits that flow from participants attending with a well-worked out strategy to maximise dollar value from spending three days in Kalgoorlie-Boulder in August.
It was easy to spot those conference participants who had put a significant amount of time and effort into their Diggers & Dealers presence. It paid off in spades and should serve as a wake-up call to those who would have liked more attention.
In particular:
- The lead-up – Continuous disclosure rules make it difficult to “keep” your news powder dry for Diggers & Dealers. But it can be done without breaking the ASX listing rules and generate important momentum in the lead-up to, and hopefully spilling over into, the conference. Radio silence in the months leading up to a conference is not a good idea. Being on the radar sets you up well. So spend some prior time thinking about the best way to build – and present – your narrative.
- The booth – There are natural limitations, mainly around size and the ballot (?) system used to determine which exhibitor goes where. But what was clear again this week was that eye-catching displays, interesting give-aways and the presence of the organisation’s leaders at the booth were – not surprisingly – real draw cards.
- The presentation – As always, there were good and bad, exciting and bland and interactive and yawn-inducing presentations. Everyone has their own unique presentation style and preferred presentation format. But if you are trying to stand out from the other 54 presentations, have a think about ramping up the engagement level.
- The investor engagement – based on the plethora of dinners organised by the full spectrum of Australia’s capital markets sector, the border closures this year failed to prevent any serious broking and corporate advisory house from being present in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. As we all know, our passing greetings while walking up and down St George’s Terrace, Collins Street or Macquarie Street of “must catch up” almost always fail to deliver. At Diggers & Dealers, it’s different. So come up with a plan prior to arrival to make those “must catch up” meetings stick – and have the necessary collateral.
- The media engagement – the turnout in the John Langford media room is the biggest for any conference in Australia. The reporters are all looking for a good story and for good talent. Spot the themes and generate some interest. It is up to you to deliver. Forward planning is really important so get the help you need.
Diggers & Dealers 2022 is 12 months away. But there are many other worthy conferences between now and then.
Time to put your thinking cap on now to make sure you get best bang for buck next time you present your company on the conference circuit.
Communicating your story to all stakeholders, including shareholders and prospective investors, is key. To discuss your strategic communications needs, contact Cannings Purple’s Director of Investor Relations Peter Klinger.
