Stamford, CT (April 30, 2009) — Completing its 26th year with its largest exhibit hall participation and professional attendance ever, Coal Prep 2009 brought the worldwide coal processing community together in Lexington, Kentucky, April 27-30. The annual Coal Processing Exhibition and Conference (www.coalprepshow.com) expanded upon its tradition of providing cutting-edge education and generating high-volume traffic on the exhibit floor, as well as offering the unique networking opportunities which make it the industry’s leading event.

Nearly 3,000 coal preparation professionals gathered to see the latest products and technologies from over 250 leading suppliers of coal processing equipment and services, reflecting a 14% increase in the number of exhibiting companies over last year.  International participation included attendees from India, Australia, China, Russia, Ukraine, South Africa, and other countries involved in coal preparation.  Early feedback from exhibitors has been that attendees at Coal Prep 2009 were not only present in greater numbers than in previous years, but were also of a higher quality than for past shows.   Jeffrey Rader Corporation executive Dan Moore’s assessment of Coal Prep echoes the perspective of many exhibitors who return to exhibit every year:  “The quality of the leads, and continuing attendance growth are just two of the reasons Jeffrey Rader Corporation returns to exhibit year after year.”  

Coal Prep’s 2009 keynote address, “Coal and the New Political Landscape” was delivered to a standing-room only audience by Luke Popovich, Vice-President, Communications for the National Mining Association.  Popovich spoke about the United States’ energy sector and the overall policy outlook for the coal industry vis-à-vis the new administration in Washington.  He discussed the technological challenges connected to making coal cleaner, the latest news about carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, and the economic and environmental impact of clean coal initiatives, not only in the United States, but in India and China as well.   The keynote also included an annual update on the Coal Preparation Society of America (CPSA) by President, Mel Laurila and the latest information on the ICPC 2010 event presented by Bill Kalb.

Opening day closed with a cocktail reception co-sponsored by Taggart in the lobby of the Lexington Convention Center.  Attendees were able to network in a relaxed atmosphere to share ideas with their industry peers while enjoying great food, drinks, and live bluegrass music.

The high-value conference program for Coal Prep 2009 was well-received and well-attended, in keeping with robust participation patterns of previous years.  Workshops included: Introduction to Coal Preparation, State-of-the-Art of Instrumentation and Control in Coal Preparation Plants, and a workshop on PLC and Ladder Logic during which attendees had the opportunity to experience hands-on exercises using the latest training workstations.  Robert Gido of Fenner Dunlop reported being “very impressed” with the conference tracks which presented “lots of good content.”  The technical sessions were also popular with conferees who came away with fresh ideas from sessions about Coal Preparation Plants, Coal Crushing and Thermal Imaging, New Technology for Coal Prep, Dense Medium Cyclones, and an international overview of coal processing in six major coal producing countries, with representatives from Canada, Australia, South Africa, Russia, Ukraine and China presenting updates.

Coal Prep’s Professional Hours Certification Program grew significantly over the last year with 28% more certificate requests this year.  Mining engineers are required to obtain 15 continuing education credits per year, and Coal Prep 2009 provided the opportunity to receive 9 of those required 15 credit hours.  

Penton Media Group Show Director Zari Stahl reflected on the continuing success of the Coal Prep show, and the pivotal role that this event plays for the coal prep industry. "In today's economic and political climate, it’s more important than ever for the coal preparation industry to come together for mutual support, to network with and learn from their peers, and to take advantage of opportunities to discover products and technologies that match their specific needs.  The value of bringing this industry together under a single roof cannot be underestimated.”

Penton Media’s Coal Prep show team would like to express our gratitude to our allied publications and associations, including Coal Age, Coal and Quarry Miner’s Exchange, Coal Leader, Coal People, the CPSA (Coal Preparation Society of America), Industrial Hygiene News, Kentucky Coal Association, Mine & Quarry, Miners News, North American Quarry News, Pollution Equipment News, Rock Products, SME (Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration), and World Coal for their support of our efforts to provide the best opportunity for the coal prep industry to gather and exchange ideas.  A special thank you as well to our premier partners and key contributors, Gundlach, Hatch, Optical Cable, McLanahan, Fairmont Supply Company, Johnson Screens and Taggart. 

We look forward to welcoming the coal prep community again next year for Coal Prep 2010.  As the only conference and exhibition serving the needs of the coal prep professional, Coal Prep continues its mission to remain the best industry source to see and learn about new products, technologies and ideas.  Participation in Coal Prep 2010 is encouraged, and we welcome abstracts or topic suggestions on any aspect of coal preparation, from equipment, to regulations, to new products, services and technologies. 

See you again next year in beautiful Lexington, Kentucky!

Save the Date:

Coal Prep 2010
April 26-29
Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, KY

For information on exhibiting, call Sam Posa at 800-525-9154.  
For information about the 2010 Call for Participation, call Cristina Cotto at 386-313-3810