Phoenix, Arizona. Data can identify trends in the mining industry to assist in finding customers and what is currently motivating their purchases. Companies who know how to make data work for them are the ones that will be successful in the future. The 2016 Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) Annual Conference & Expo will examine what data exists, and how this data can be used by companies today to help guarantee their success in the future. The keynote speaker for the event is Colonel Mike Mullane who will discuss, “Guarding Against a Normalization of Deviance.” This keynote address will examine how individuals and teams accept a lower standard of performance until that lower standard becomes the new normal. Expo short courses include Simulation of Mining Systems, Mine Waste Characterization and Gold Processing Practices.