As equipment suppliers from “non-traditional” regions are attracted by the lucrative Australian mining market, some previously unknown names and makes will be seen for the first time at AIMEX – Asia Pacific’s International Mining Exhibition, in Sydney in August. AIMEX, which returns to the Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from August 20-23, 2013, is the largest mining exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region. New names on show at AIMEX 2013 will include GE Mining (which recently acquired Industrea), Belaz from Belarus and the world’s second-largest manufacturer of mining trucks, underground coal mining specialist CME (part of China Coal), and XEMC, which has signed an agreement with Rio Tinto to supply a fleet of 230 t haul trucks to the Mt Tom Price mine in the Pilbara.

“Around the world, the names and brands at leading international mining exhibitions are changing with both new and established global manufacturers using these events as opportunities to launch into new markets – and AIMEX is no different,” said Paul Baker, Reed Mining Events director. “For visitors, AIMEX 2013 will be a unique opportunity to see new brands of equipment which are launching their products on the Australian market – and are determined to become a significant part of the mining industry here.

“Over the past decade, AIMEX has seen significant growth in international pavilions from countries such as China, India, South Africa and Chile, as well as increasingly larger stands taken by global manufacturers from these countries, along with regions such as Eastern Europe and other parts of Asia,” he said.

“As an indication of the growing importance of AIMEX on the international mining stage, space taken by international suppliers and country or regional pavilions has doubled in the past 10 years – and is already set to be 10% bigger than AIMEX 2011 two years ago.”

Baker said that while AIMEX 2013 would strongly reflect this changing face of the mining equipment and service suppliers market, established and well-recognised makes would still be there in force. “International trade shows provide global manufacturers with an opportunity to announce their intentions to the market by revealing plans for growth and unveiling new products. AIMEX 2013 will provide such an environment for the Australian mining and resources sector.

 “This means that – through AIMEX – the Australian mining industry will be exposed to a broader line-up of suppliers, offering a wider choice of equipment and brands,” he said.

“And with continuing strong prospects for Australia’s mining and resources sector, we’ve certainly received a positive response to our plans to increase the frequency of AIMEX from a four-year cycle to two-yearly.

Baker said AIMEX 2013 was on track to attract more than 600 exhibitors, reflecting the very latest developments in mining technology – across all aspects of mining.

“Following the outstanding success of AIMEX 2011 in Sydney, we have moved to further develop the coverage of the exhibition, so it reflects all areas of the mining sector.

“This will include underground coal and hard rock mining, as well as all types of surface mining.

“As part of this, an important focus of our visitor marketing campaign for AIMEX 2013 is to increase interstate visitor levels, while continuing to attract delegations from the global mining community,” said Baker.