Santiago, June 18th.- With the presence of prominent figures from the mining sector, representatives of trade associations, executives from various companies, and the Minister of Mining, Aurora Williams, the presidency transfer of the Expomin Congress took place this Tuesday during the launch of the 2025 edition of the main mining fair in Latin America, which will be held from April 22 to 25 next year at Espacio Riesco.

The event, held at the Metropolitan Santiago convention center, was well-attended and included the ceremony for transferring the presidency of Expomin 2025 from Amparo Cornejo, Vice President of Teck South America and president of the 2023 edition, to Patricio Hidalgo, Chief Executive Officer of Anglo American in Chile, who will lead this new phase.

The opening speech was given by Francisco Sotomayor, Executive Director of Expomin and CEO of GL events Chile, who delved into the challenges of the upcoming exhibition and thanked the fair’s supporters (“Your presence here today demonstrates that Expomin is built by all of us, through good times and tough times,” he said), also announcing that work is already underway on a robust mobility plan for the 2025 edition, and the concrete possibility of it being the first carbon-neutral Expomin.

“We have faced challenges from which we have learned lessons, leading us to work collaboratively with the entire sector and government authorities to plan a very different Expomin 2025,” said Sotomayor. He also mentioned the challenge posed by an 8% increase in Santiago’s car fleet since 2018 and the rise in the number of exhibitors and visitors. “All this makes it simply unsustainable to receive over 7,000 vehicles again,” he added.

“We are working on a robust mobility plan with all government authorities for the fair days, with exclusive routes to the venue, doubling the number of shuttle buses, partnerships with shared transportation apps, and other measures to discourage the use of private cars,” said the GL events executive.

Next, Amparo Cornejo, Vice President of Teck South America, described Expomin “as a crucial meeting point for various national and international mining stakeholders.”

“I am confident that under Patricio Hidalgo’s leadership as president of the Expomin 2025 International Congress, we will continue to advance and achieve new goals that highlight these and other topics to enhance an industry that attracts the next generation of young talent, both women and men, offering them a place to develop and feel proud to belong,” she added.

Following Amparo Cornejo’s remarks, Patricio Hidalgo took the floor and also referred to the concept of the new Expomin 2025 Congress: “Reimagining mining to attract the best talent.”

“Today, mining has a unique opportunity to provide the necessary minerals to address global challenges, such as the energy transition and climate change, and we have the duty to do so sustainably and responsibly. These are complex challenges that cannot be tackled with individual commitment alone,” said Hidalgo, who added, “As a miner by training and conviction, it is a tremendous honor to assume the presidency of the Expomin 2025 Congress, and I look forward to continuing to add value to this iconic event for the industry.”

“The invitation is to work collaboratively among the different societal stakeholders. I am convinced that our world is better because of mining, and we will work hard to engage more actors, showcase what we are doing as an industry, and so that new generations see mining as a future possibility. Ultimately, to reaffirm Chile’s pride in being a mining country,” stated the Anglo American executive.

After his speech, Amparo Cornejo and Patricio Hidalgo sealed the transfer of the presidency with a pin symbolizing diversity, which the Teck Vice President gifted to her successor.

Finally, the Minister of Mining, Aurora Williams, highlighted the exhibition’s significance for the sector and valued the sustainability efforts. “Expomin is already opening as a showcase that promotes the transfer of knowledge and experiences, as well as offering technologies that contribute to innovation and increased productivity in mining processes,” said the Secretary of State.

“I want to highlight the importance of the efforts the industry is making in using clean energy and generating a circular economy. In this context, mining suppliers play a very relevant role by providing innovative and technological services that have improved production and safety at mining sites,” concluded Aurora Williams.

Press Contact:

Víctor García

vgarcia@fisa.cl

+56998188154