Register now for the 28th annual Best in the West Drill and Blast Conference held April 22-24, 2015, at the Spearfish Holiday Inn Convention Center in Spearfish, South Dakota.
The conference is an intensive three day event that brings together mining companies, drilling and blasting suppliers and government agencies. The focus is innovation, safety and government regulation.
One of the biggest highlights of the conference is the scholarship benefit auction. The money raised from Best in the West goes to fund scholarship programs. The Best in the West has raised more $100,000 for scholarships throughout the past 20 years.
Lodging
The Spearfish Holiday Inn Convention Center has special room rates of $95.99 per night for a single/double or $125.99 a night for a suite. For an additional $10, rooms can be poolside. To get the special room rates, use the group code BIW when booking. Reservations can be made at www.holiday-inn.com/spearfishsd or by phone at 605.642.4683.
It’s that time of year to apply for SEE Education Foundation Scholarships. Qualified students will be considered for an award among 26 funds. To be eligible to apply for a scholarship you must be pursuing technical, undergraduate, graduate or doctorate degrees in fields of education related to the commercial explosives industry; and able to demonstrate financial need.
Students will be assessed on their financial need, academic and professional achievements and goals related to the industry.
Visit the students section of our website to download the 2015 application. Only complete application packets emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. will be considered. The deadline is June 1, 2015.
The SEE Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization created in 1996 to serve the long-term education interests of the explosives industry through the development of education and training materials, championing the inclusion of explosives instruction in engineering curricula and awarding scholarships to eligible students.
Learn what makes a great blast design and hear about the latest safety techniques and technology from the best in the business. The Blasters Training Seminar is included in the Blasters Weekend Package. It's also offered as a separate sign up for those who can't make the full Blasters Weekend.
This popular and highly regarded one day seminar will take place on Saturday, Jan. 31. It was designed and presented for blasters by the best in the business to help plan and execute efficient blast designs, hear updates on regulations and safety and more. The seminar is included as part of the Blasters Weekend Package or sign up separately. The topics and speakers include:
- Introduction, Larry Mirabelli, Blasters Training Committee Chairman
- Critical Communications – Blast Design Layout Through Detonation, Scott Scovira
- Critical Rules for Safe and Effective Drilling, Dave Bijolle
- Critical Rules for Bulk Explosives, Dennis Schulz
- Initiation Systems – Safety, Accuracy and the Importance of Proper Timing, William Reisz
- Blast Movements Fundamentals, Will Hunt
- Choosing the Right Delay Timing for Surface Blasting Applications to Optimize Blasting Results, Frank Chiappetta
- Pushing the Split Around the Bend – Highwall Control!, Simon Tose
- Blasting Misfires – Common Causes, Prevention and Safe Handling, Larry Mirabelli
Blasters training registration fee includes lunch, coffee breaks and course materials. The seminar runs from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Registration opens Friday from 3-5 p.m. and Saturday morning starting at 7 a.m. A certificate of attendance will be issued. The states of Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming have accepted retraining credit hours in the past. Check with your state officials for more information.
Visit the 41st Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique page to sign up today.
ISEE Quilt
Chapter and Industry Quilt, hand stitched from t-shirts donated by ISEE members and chapters, courtesy of Tom Watts and ISEE staff.
Atlas Powder Company Collection
Includes the 1985 Handbook of Electric Blasting, a vintage Atlas Blaster's Multimeter and a 1987 Explosives and Rock Blasting book, courtesy of Dale Ramsey.
ISEE Reference Library Book Collection
Includes Explosives Engineering, Paul Cooper; Rock Blasting and Explosives Engineering, Persson, Holmberg and Lee; Explosives, Kohler and Meyer; Explosions in Air, Wilfred Baker, courtesy of ISEE.
Parrot AR. Drone 2.0 Elite Edition
This quadricopter is controlled intuitively using a smartphone or tablet. View the Earth from above, in high definition and share your experience with other AR Drone pilots all around the world. Includes a built-in high definition camera capable of shooting 720p at 30 frames per second, courtesy of Instantel.
Trailer Hitch Guard with Pin
Friends of Coal trailer hitch guard with pin. Crafted by Ron Boling of Tread, courtesy of BE Consultants.
Model Drill
A model drill with Furukawa Rock Drills USA logo, courtesy of Furukawa Rock Drills USA.
IMESAFR Package
Includes IMESAFR training software and one voucher for the 3-day training course, courtesy of APT Research.
IME Bundle
A full set of Safety Library Publications, IME Complete Explosives Video Library, One Dozen Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls, Mini-Mag Lite, Flash Drive 2GB and Mini-Blaster, courtesy of IME.
18th Edition Blasters' Handbook Special
One-of-a-kind 18th Edition ISEE Blasters handbook autographed by the authors, courtesy of Nobel Insurance Services.
Good news for those who haven't sent in submissions for the 22nd annual photo contest: The deadline has been extended. Submit your best pictures of the year by Dec. 19, 2014, for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate to the ISEE Blasters' Library.
The winner will be announced during our 41st Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique held Feb. 1 to Feb. 4, 2015, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Contest categories include 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 22nd annual photo contest sponsored by Instantel. Click here to download an entry form.