Coal Prep Show 2013 enjoys successful year despite soft coal market

The 2013 International Coal Prep show, running from 29 April to 2 May in Lexington, Kentucky, attracted over 3,000 participants. These attendance figures were greater than the numbers seen in 2011, although organisers acknowledged that due to the soft US coal market, and operator quotas on attending events, there was a slight dip in attendance for the conference and hall compared to 2012 numbers.

International participation at the show, however, increased by 17% and included attendees from Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Germany, Ghana, and India. In total, companies from 21 countries attended Coal Prep 2013. Coal Prep Show manager, Florence Torres, took care to note the attendance figures of the show. “Coal prep successfully targeted international attendance this year,” Torres said.

The show floor was sold out for a successive year, featuring more than 290 exhibiting companies, of which several were first time exhibitors.

New to 2013, this year’s Coal Prep show witnessed the Kentucky Coal Association (KCA) host a Coal Symposium. In this, CEO panellists led discussion on the state of the coal industry and what can be done to improve it.

An over arching theme that emerged at Coal Prep was the need for the coal industry to do more to promote the benefits of coal to the consumer public.

Discussion was driven by thoughts on challenges faced by the US coal industry. Many major coal producers have been exporting coal as a response to testing domestic conditions.

Somewhat away from discussions on coal, the 2013 Coal Prep show witnessed several special events, including a golf outing, and a cocktail reception at Lexington Center, with live music provided by Rick Arnold.

Adapted from press release by Samuel Dodson.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/06062013/coal_prep_show_2013_enjoys_successfull_year_215/