Registration is now open for the 44th Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique. It will be held Jan. 28 - 31, 2018, at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio Hotel in San Antonio, Texas.

As many as 1,600 blasters, manufacturers, government officials and suppliers will gather from all over the world to gain new insights and form new business alliances. Participation will be strong as the largest conference of its kind in the explosives industry visits San Antonio for the first time.

The 2018 program includes a dynamic education program featuring technical sessions, poster session and workshops combined with more than 130 exhibits on the latest technology. In addition to the full conference, the Blasters Weekend Package, commencing on Saturday, Jan. 27, will include the popular Blasters Training Seminar, the Blasters R Us Video Roundup, a regulatory panel discussion and more.

In addition, educational programs, books, DVDs and ISEE apparel will be sold at the ISEE bookstore, including the 18th Edition ISEE Blasters’ Handbook (print and digital) and the 44th Annual Conference Proceedings, featuring all the technical papers from leading industry experts.

Become a sponsor and be a part of the new exciting high-profile Grand Finale Gala on Tuesday, Jan. 30. By demonstrating your support, this event will be the largest social gathering of the year in the explosives industry. Your company will receive exposure to attendees from around the world. Attendees will be invited to share a delightful evening together as we grab a refreshing cocktail, enjoy an appetizing bite, and be a part of the fun and festivities. Your sponsorship is our key to success.

Do you have a knack for photography and some great shots of a recent job you’d like to share? Submit them to our 25th annual photo contest for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate to the ISEE Bookstore.

The winner will be announced during our 44th Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique held Jan. 28–31, 2018, in San Antonio, Texas.

There are categories for blasters and drillers at work, construction blasting, quarrying and mining, demolition blasting, specialty blasting and student entries. All submissions will be judged on composition, content and quality.

The deadline to enter is Dec. 1, 2017. So what are you waiting for? Download an entry form today.

The SEE Education Foundation will be holding its silent auction to support students pursuing degrees in explosives-related fields. Since the Foundation’s inception, over 500 scholarships valued at more than $500,000 have been awarded.

Silent auction packages will be available for viewing and bidding for the duration of the annual conference and will conclude Jan. 30, 2018, during the closing reception. This is a great opportunity to showcase your company name at the conference and help the foundation provide monies for the ISEE Scholarship Fund. Contact Patrick Lang at lang@isee.org or (440) 349-4400 for more information.

The O*NET Data Collection Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, is seeking the input of expert explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts and Blasters. O*NET (Occupational Information Network) is a free online database accessed by millions of students, job seekers and employers for career exploration and job analysis-- it is America's primary source of occupational information.

A random sample of experts responding to this request will be invited to complete a set of questionnaires (paper or online versions available), and $40.00 in cash as well as a certificate of appreciation from the U.S. Department of Labor will be included with the questionnaires.

If you are interested in participating as an occupation expert, please call Tammy Belcher at 877-233-7348, ext. 119, or email tbelcher@onet.rti.org.

UBS raised its rating for Caterpillar shares to buy from neutral, citing positive results from the firm's survey of the industry's spending plans. The stock rose 2 percent to a record high after the UBS report.

We upgrade Caterpillar "to reflect our new evidence that a continuation of the earnings upcycle is ahead and that CAT's growing cash position will drive upside to earnings and returns as it gets deployed," analyst Steven Fisher wrote in a note to clients Monday. "Our UBS Evidence Lab Macro analysis suggests a re-acceleration of US private construction activity, and our UBS Evidence Lab survey indicates that mining capex should continue to improve in 2018."

Three years ago, Hecla Mining Company, a 126-year-old Idaho-based precious metals mining company, began looking into automation technology for its four mines: Lucky Friday in northern Idaho, Casa Berardi in Quebec, San Sebastian in Mexico, and Greens Creek mine on an island off the coast of Alaska. "We’re not a huge company," said Mark Board, the company’s vice-president of technical services. "So rather than simply diving in and saying we want to automate everything in the mine, we looked at all of our operations and asked ourselves where our bottlenecks were, what made sense economically for a company our size and the type of mining we do."

The Northern China import price of 62 percent iron content ore slumped on Friday as the country's steelmakers stoke production ahead of mandated cuts going into winter which could result in a sudden drop-off in iron ore demand.

According to data supplied by The Steel Index the steelmaking raw material declined 3.4 percent to exchange hands for $70.90 per dry metric tonne, a seven week low. Data released by China's steel industry association yesterday showed mills produced record tonnage for a second straight month in August. China produces as much steel as the rest of the world combined.

Celebrate the start of the fall season with ISEE. Head over to the ISEE online bookstore today and save 20% on books, DVDs, apparel and artwork. Be sure to use coupon code fall17 at checkout to redeem your discount. SEE Education Foundation items are not included. Standard shipping rates do apply.The offer ends Friday, Sept. 29.

Did you know the ISEE has an online career center that offers discounts to members looking to post jobs? Whether you’re a student looking for an internship or a business looking for a seasoned professional in the explosives industry, the ISEE job board, located at the ISEE website, is a great way to get noticed.

And one of the best parts is that it’s free for job seekers. Upload your resume today to get the attention of job posters or browse the job board for the latest openings. Visit the career center now.

Sept. 20-22, 2017
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Sept. 23, 2017
Denver, Colo.

Oct. 19-20, 2017
Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Oct. 24-26, 2017
Madrid, Spain

Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2017
Huntsville, Ala.