MINExpo 2024!

My first MINExpo was in 2016 when I ditched college to drive the five hours from Phoenix to Las Vegas with two friends I'd promised big trucks.

We talked security into letting us measly college students attend the show for free. Then, we promptly drooled all over the machines, quietly resting amongst the convention center crowds.

Afterward, we dined at Guy Fieri's Flavortown (when in Rome Vegas), then drove to Arizona. Upon polling everyone, we unanimously agreed we'd do it again any day of the week.

Little did I know that the photos I captured at the show would help launch my "BuildWitt" Instagram channel a year later.

The next MINExpo was set for fall 2020, but we all know what happened—a pangolin in a wet market ruined it for everyone. Just shut up and don't ask questions.

The show organizers punted the Super Bowl of the mining industry to 2021, and I quickly planned for the new show dates.

Due to scheduling, I attempted to qualify for the Boston Marathon one day before the show. The good news was that I qualified by SEVEN seconds (2:59:53). The bad news was that I obliterated my quads, as it was a downhill race. And if you don't think that's fair, sue me.

Anyone who's attended a trade show knows about the walking involved. Getting to the show? WALK. Getting around the show? WALK. Going to the bathroom? WALK…

With my record-setting soreness, my walk was more of a Biden shuffle, with people staring at me nonstop—not because they knew who I was but because I looked seriously off. I still had fun, but it was a quick trip...

And now for the latest show — MINExpo 2024, held last week.

MANY people (at least three) asked me what I thought of the event, so I’ll summarize my thoughts here. Sorry it took me 315 words to get to it…

The equipment and technology was remarkably impressive, but nothing was earth shattering. Although I don't think mining and earth shattering often appear nearby one another, unless it's regarding literally shattering the earth with explosives, which the mining industry does frequently.

Most major OEMs had electric offerings, and there was plenty of discourse regarding autonomy, which is only gaining popularity as the technology becomes more proven and economical.

Electric equipment makes a lot of sense in the right settings. Shovels, draglines, and plants have leveraged electricity for decades, making many mining operations more cost-effective.

But running the entire mining industry on batteries? I think it's somewhat silly. The show's buzzphrase was undoubtedly "energy transition," but I still don't completely understand what it means.

Can't we have batteries AND diesel and apply each where it makes the most sense? But what do I know…

On that note, if I had a dollar for every time I saw or heard something about batteries and autonomy, I'd be the next Jeff Bezos. But if the same rate applied to anything workforce-related, arguably the mining industry's biggest challenge, I'd struggle to afford the McDonald's Dollar Menu (now the $3 menu).

I found this disappointing, as people are the best part of MINExpo and the mining industry.

While modern life and technology has fooled us into thinking life happens with bits, it's all still atoms.

 The people of the mining industry make modern life possible by providing fertilizer for our food, copper for our power, and aggregate for our roads. They're hardworking, humble, and remarkably ambitious. What other industry can move mountains or traverse miles beneath the earth?

Telling the mining industry's story and inspiring the next generation may seem like bringing a knife to a gunfight, but sometimes David wins. And in this case, David HAS to win. What good is all the fancy gear and technology without the people who make it all work?

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Jamie is the COO of Echelon Front, a leadership consulting business initially founded by former Navy SEALs Leif Babin and Jocko Willink. Jamie discusses her journey with Extreme Ownership within her EF career but, more importantly, at home. To learn more about Echelon Front, check out their website here — https://echelonfront.com/

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