The SAIMM proposes producing a special edition of the Journal, one that will showcase current research and best practices in the field of Geostatistics. 
The SAIMM convenes a platinum conference, around a theme, every two years. Previous themes have been ʻPlatinum Adding Valueʼ in 2004, ʻPlatinum Surges Aheadʼ in 2006, ʻPlatinum in Transformationʼ in 2008, and ʻPlatinum in Transition – Boom or Bustʼ in
2010. With increasing industrymaturity it was felt that an appropriate theme for 2012 was platinum as a ʻCatalyst for Changeʼ.
The conference was a high-quality event with an overwhelming vote of support and positive response from the many delegates that I engaged with. I was pleasantly surprised with the attendance, given the current disrupted state of the industry.
The School on the Production of Manganese Ferroalloys was held at Misty Hills, Muldersdrift on 12 and 13 June 2012. The main attraction was lectures presented by Professor Merete Tangstad from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Her fields of research at NTNU include manganese ferroalloy production, and she co-authored the definitive textbook, Production of Manganese Ferroalloys, with Sverre Olsen and Tor Lindstand in 2007.
