– The head of state highlighted the new fairground Parque Fisa and said that “the largest fairground in Chile is being created”. – The exhibition will be held between April 24 and 27 and will be attended by 1,200 exhibitors from 35 countries. At the same time, the International Congress will be held in parallel, with 14 seminars with more than 100 speakers. Santiago, April 24, 2023 – The President of the Republic, Gabriel Boric, together with Marcela Hernando, Minister of Mining; Nicolás Grau, Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism; Amparo Cornejo, vice-president Teck South America and president of the Expomin Congress and Francisco Sotomayor, Executive Director of GL events, inaugurated the XVII edition of Expomin 2023, the most important mining meeting in Latin America that for the first time is being held at the largest trade fair center in Chile, Parque Fisa. On the occasion, the country’s highest authority said “I am proud to speak on behalf of Chile at a fair that is the most important mining fair in Latin America, the second most important in the world, with a history of more than 30 years and 17 on-site versions. And it is a special fair because the enormous diversity of the mining family is represented here and, in addition, it is expressed in this very act how mining also contributes to Chile and makes us all grow”. On the occasion, the President emphasized that “the largest fairground in Chile is being created, the largest convention center in Chile, with a capacity to accommodate 2,500 people in its convention center, which will soon host other instances of meetings and collaboration between the private and public-private sectors, it is tremendously remarkable. What is going to remain here, as heritage, I have just had the honor of inaugurating a small square, the Plazoleta Los Presidentes, which is also concerned with the diversity and biodiversity of the territory, I think it is tremendously, tremendously remarkable”. Similarly, Boric said “I think it is also very important the presence of national and international investors, representatives of unions, suppliers of inputs and materials, ambassadors from different countries, startups that are continuously innovating to make mining a more sustainable activity, and which I understand have a privileged space to generate productive linkages and a greater value chain”. The international mining exhibition and congress, which began today, Monday 24, and will run until April 27, brings together more than 1,200 supplier companies from 35 countries, and is expected to attract more than 70,000 executives, academics, professionals and investors in the sector. In his presentation during the inauguration of the mining meeting, President Boric expressed his satisfaction with the return of Expomin, emphasizing the importance of promoting mining development by bringing together all the actors, “the mining that we dream of happens here, that we are present for a better future and it fills me with hope that today there are different wills that are converging in that this mining cannot but be socially and environmentally sustainable”. The Head of State indicated the relevance of the meeting and its progress, “for me it is very important that Expomin has been growing, that in Expomin challenges as relevant as how we face together the climate crisis, how we relate in a better way with the communities, how we generate greater growth for Chile, certainties for the private world, a responsible State and that this spirit of convergence is expressed concretely in the policies that we carry forward”. For her part, the Minister of Mining, Marcela Hernando, emphasized that “this is one of the largest fairs in the world, the second largest in the world, I would say, and the most important in Latin America. In this context, we will see it grow again to levels we have never seen before. And not only is it much bigger. It is also in a fair space that allows this growth, but also in an environment that has all the advantages of having hotels nearby, the halls are wonderful, each one of the stands is comfortable. So we invite everyone to come”. For his part, the executive director of Expomin, Francisco Sotomayor, maintained that “it fills us with joy to see this exhibition and international congress presenting figures higher than those of 2018, which was one of the versions of Expomin with more participation in history. Many thought that the virtual world would take over the face-to-face and that the fairs would disappear. Today, being all gathered here with more than 1,200 exhibiting companies, shows the legacy that the last two years left us: that the face-to-face is irreplaceable to generate trust, debate and collective deliberation.” See the Congress program: https://www.expomin.cl/descargas/congreso_expomin_2023.pdf FREE SHUTTLE BUSES To facilitate the arrival to the event there will be shuttle buses, which will operate during the four days of the fair, from Metro Pajaritos to the fairgrounds Parque Fisa: -Timetable: from 08:30 to 18:30 hrs. – Carousel format: The tour starts once the bus is full. – Those who wish to use the transportation must present their QR code to access the Fair. PARKING LOTS -The fairgrounds will have 6,500 parking spaces. TECHNICAL INFO. Days and hours: The event will be held from April 24 to 27. From 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Press contact: Cristián Larraín +569 52087993 Ricardo Varas +569 4432 6608