After a three-year hiatus, 121 Mining Investment has relaunched its in-person event in Hong Kong at the prestigious Island Shangri-La. The event took place on the 29th and 30th of March, with multiple panels, meetings, and in-depth interviews with industry experts.
121’s ever-expanding global portfolio currently encompasses events in London, New York, Cape Town, Las Vegas, Frankfurt, Sydney, Singapore, Melbourne and once again Hong Kong. With no travel restrictions in Asia’s world city, many events are back to rekindle tourism and business, including 121 events.
“There’s been a good turnout,” said Tempus CEO and president, Jason Bahnsen. Jason is relatively new to 121 events, attending his first one in Sydney less than six months ago. “(121)’s got a good quality group of investors, it’s been an efficient use of my time.”
Tempus Resources Ltd. is one of dozens of mining companies that comes to 121 events looking for the right connections in our private, pre-scheduled meetings. Tempus (ASX: TMR | TSXV: TMRR | OTCQB: TMRFF) is an exploration company, established with the purpose of exploring and developing gold, silver, and copper mineral opportunities. It is currently focused on its Blackdome-Elizabeth Gold project in southern British Columbia, Canada, which has already had success in discovering additional gold veins and should begin drilling this May.
This is only the surface of company highlights that can entice investors into supporting a company’s exploration projects. The 30-minute investor meetings ran alongside a series of panels, presentations, and interviews discussing company news and industry trends like China’s recent 180 in Zero COVID, the energy transition, inflation, ESG, and more.
Blackstone Minerals Ltd (ASX: BSX | FRA: B9S | OTCQX: BLSTF) led the discussion on future facing minerals and ESG on day two of the event, with managing director Scott Williamson at the helm. Blackstone is focused on building an integrated upstream and downstream battery metals processing business in Vietnam that produces nickel cobalt manganese precursor products for Asia’s growing lithium-ion battery industry.
Blackstone has been attending 121 events for over five years and is looking to make a strategic partnership in the battery market this year. “We’re here for the awareness,” said Scott. “I think the more strategic (partners) that we can get to these events, the better it is for the industry because they need to understand more about mining.”
Scott talked about how Blackstone aims to produce high-value green nickel sulphate while protecting the natural environment, setting clear targets, and using renewable energy sources like hydroelectric power — making them an ideal model for the future metals and ESG discussion. They are currently focused on the Ta Khoa Nickel project, where they not only have affordable power backing the project at only US$0.07 per hour, but also abundant, renewable power. The company also has a feasibility study coming in the next few months.
After the past few years, many companies have had to make headway in ESG measures and must showcase strong project viability in a world with heavily restricted travel and face-to-face contact. With Hong Kong being one of the last fronts to drop COVID restrictions, one of the world’s largest markets is again open for business.
“These kinds of meetings don’t happen on Zoom,” said Jason Berton, managing director of PolarX (ASX: PXX), an advanced mineral explorer and developer with rapidly growing high-grade copper, gold, and silver projects across the US. The PolarX director last attended 121’s Las Vegas event in 2022 and talked about how in-person 121 events were much preferred for them as they enjoy the opportunities of chance introductions as well as prearranged meetings.
For the PolarX team, they’re focused on their Nevada-based Humboldt Range gold project and are seeking investment support for aggressive drilling campaigns. With strong sampling results and a sturdy demand for gold, Jason thinks that traveling to Hong Kong for the event is well worth it.
Hong Kong lifted all COVID restrictions less than a month ago, and already the desire to re-enter has been high. “Hong Kong is amazing,” said Jason. “Now that this event has succeeded, people will definitely be back.”
Its sentiments like this that has 121 excited for an even stronger turnout for our second event in the city coming up on the 9th and 10th of October this year.
Find out more here: https://www.weare121.com/121mininginvestment-hk/
