The world knows what happened here

More than 45,000 people from around the world gathered in Las Vegas a few weeks ago to attend MINExpo, the largest equipment show and conference of its kind in North America specifically designed as a showcase for the suppliers of products and services to the mining industry.

The event, held every four years in Las Vegas, is the “Olympics” of mining equipment as manufacturers compete to display their machines in the most dramatic and eye-catching ways in order to win the attention of visitors but moreover, buyers from all points on the globe.

With some equipment priced as high as $25 million per unit, both manufacturers and buyers alike were in Las Vegas on serious business and contrary to the city’s slogan: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” much of the machinery on display at the show “left the building” at the end of the three-day event on its way to new homes elsewhere around the world.

Naturally, not all of the machines and services offered at the Show’s 1800 booths were sold, but exhibitors this year were encouraged by the volume of traffic and the number of potential buyers in attendance.

More than 800 of the 45,000 delegates this year came from China alone where more and more North American manufacturers are setting up shop to answer the growing demand for equipment as China continues to develop its mining resources.

And there were also large groups from South America, Japan, Korea, Australia and naturally, Canada, where not only did visitors travel from, but so too did more than 200 suppliers of equipment and services.

In fact, an entire section of one of the Show’s three buildings was draped in “red and white” in a pavilion designed to house a wide variety of Canadian products and services.

MINExpo 2012 was a huge success and here’s a quick look at just some of the products and services that were on display.