View Photos - Monday, October 28, 2013
View Photos - Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Post Conference Overview

Programmed in Conjunction with Materials Science and Technology (MS&T'13) Conference, COM 2013 was Part of a Successful Landmark Event That Attracted More Than 3400 International Attendees!

A Special Thanks to the Attendees and Sponsors

Based on the vision and decision of the Executive Committee of Metallurgy and Materials Society of CIM in 2009, this year's Conference of Metallurgists COM 2013 was programmed with the Materials Science and Technology (MS&T 2013) Conference and held in partnership with four other leading professional societies, namely ASM International, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) and The American Ceramic Society (ACerS). The success of COM 2013 was a true measure of the strength of MetSoc and our ability to link with a global network of members and partners. Together we have realized the largest Metallurgical and Materials event in Canada by bringing together colleagues from industry, academia and government. By welcoming delegates from nearly 60 different countries, this event was truly a GLOBAL forum of information exchange with professionals who share our passion for life-long learning.

The theme of COM 2013 was Shaping the Future with Technological Breakthroughs in Metallurgy and Materials. The technical program of the conference covered areas of interests in the minerals, metals and materials fields from development to industrial practice. Given the importance of the light metals and hydroelectric industries in Québec, the aerospace industry in the greater Montréal region and the mineral and metal industries in Canada, the conference featured trend-setting international symposia in these areas. Another highlight of the conference was The Ralph Lloyd Harris Memorial Symposium that honoured his significant contributions to the field of metallurgical process engineering. In addition to the technical program, the conference incorporated a Trade Show and Exhibition, a Student Poster Session, Short Courses, and Technical Tours linked to the themes of the major symposia.

The social program included the Dr. Ram Rao Memorial Luncheon (sponsored by the Environmental Section of MetSoc and supported by Teck), the Ralph Lloyd Harris Luncheon and Chili Night (sponsored by Accenture), the Hydrometallurgy luncheon (sponsored by FLSmidth) and the Student-Industry Mixer (sponsored by GoldCorp, New Millenium Iron Corp, Barrick and MetSoc Members Robert Francki, Alan Pyatt, Gerald Heffernan and Brian Oliver). At the Annual General Meeting and MetSoc Awards Dinner Banquet (sponsored by Barrick Gold, BBA, Hatch, Hazen Research, Teck, and XPS, Consulting and Testwork Services), MetSoc's 2nd VP Dr. Boyd Davis presented the various MetSoc and CIM awards. I would like to congratulate all the recipients of our various CIM and MetSoc awards as well as thank them for their sustained contributions to our society and our industry.

The success and outcome of this year's event was the work of our organizing committee, technical committee, professional society partners and professional society sponsors (NACE, AusIMM, AIM, CMP-CIM, GDMB, The Institute of Non-ferrous Metals, JIM, MMIJ and SF2M) who persevered in bringing forth a strong technical program to the delegates. I want to also extend my gratitude to the authors of the many papers and presentations for their efforts in contributing to the high quality of the technical program. My special thanks to the students who joined us, presented papers, participated in the poster session, and/or helped with the technical sessions. I would also like to thank the numerous companies who purchased booths at the Trade Show or who sponsored individual events. In particular, a special thank you to our Premier sponsors: Teck, Barrick Gold and Hatch. Finally, I would like to personally thank the MetSoc staff (Brigitte, Ronona and Catherine) for their dedication to this event.

I hope you all enjoyed this opportunity to learn, exchange, network, partner and discover "la joie de vivre" in Montréal. MetSoc is planning its 2014 Conference of Metallurgists in Vancouver, British Columbia. The theme of the conference is Prosperity through Process Advancements and promises to be a great event with a strong technical program that includes three honorary symposia dedicated to Professors Bill Davenport, Gilles Allard, and Ram Rao. COM 2014 will of course also offer short courses and interesting industrial tours of metallurgical and materials operations. Please visit our website for more details.

So reserve the dates of September 28 - October 1, 2014 for COM 2014! We are looking forward to seeing you in Vancouver!

Priti Wanjara
Conference Chair, MetSoc of CIM President
National Research Council Canada

View Photos - Monday, October 28, 2013
View Photos - Tuesday, October 29, 2013