The International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) is set to host more than 7,500 attendees from over 100 countries at Sydney’s International Convention Centre from November 2-4, in what is likely to be a record in terms of the number of delegates.

The conference, the largest of its kind in Australia, will provide an opportunity for domestic and international industry leaders to engage, learn, network and most importantly, do business, while addressing the energy transition, rising costs, skills shortages, social performance and diversity within the resources sector, event organisers say.

The event will be held under the one roof across a massive 17,000 sq.m in the new Sydney location.

IMARC Managing Director, Anita Richards, said the response to this year’s event had been overwhelming.

“We’re welcoming a record number of delegates this year, representing 800 mining companies, and with IMARC exhibitors increasing by 85% since 2019, we’ve had to expand the expo floor by 40%,” she said. “The program will see over 450 speakers across six concurrent conferences covering global opportunities, industry collaboration, the energy transition, investment, innovation and more.”

A key theme this year is innovation and technology, with both local start-ups and leading global brands showcasing their latest products and services across automation, communication, safety and sustainability, to create better, faster, safer, and more profitable operations, the organisers say.

“This industry has seen so much change since the last in-person IMARC event, but this November global delegates will finally have the opportunity to connect face-to-face in Sydney, build relationships, forge partnerships and do business,” Richards said.

The mining industry is facing more challenges than ever before, including supply chain volatility, workforce shortages, the rising cost of business, the pressures of ESG, navigating the energy transition and growing social and investor expectations. IMARC, the organisers say, is a key forum that addresses these issues by gathering a wide cross-section of the mining value chain to share learnings, insights and help each other navigate pathways to a sustainable and prosperous future whether in exploration and investment, operational transformation, workforce growth or community engagement.

For example, IMARC’s Balance for Better, Next Gen programs and First Nations partnership initiatives aim to set the tone for a more diverse future for the sector, encouraging attendance from more Indigenous delegates, providing opportunities for young people, and championing equality, with women in leadership positions, community roles, and engineering a key focus across the program.

International Mining is a media sponsor of IMARC 2022