21 AUGUST 2023
There are just over two weeks to go until thousands of attendees converge on Asia Pacific’s International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX), returning to Sydney Showgrounds after four years with Australia's largest free-to-attend expo and conference program.
From 5-7 September, attendees will gather to network, source industry-leading equipment from local and international suppliers, and learn from leaders and academics about the topics pressing on industry. While time out of the office or away from the site is always a struggle, many opportunities at AIMEX make attending one or multiple days well worthwhile.
The exhibition brings together some of the best mining suppliers from all over the world, including XCMG, Bosch Rexroth, Atlas Copco, Altra Motion, Danfoss, Global Pumps, CR Powered by Epiroc, Motion Australia and Yurika. There’s also the Mining and Contractor Pavilion, where Australia’s leading mining producers, contractors and associations, such as Glencore, Whitehaven Coal, and Thiess will be on the exhibition floor sharing their initiatives and recruitment activities.
Over 250 exhibitors will make the trade exhibition a key sourcing platform for the Australian mining industry. New to AIMEX this year is the Decarbonisation Zone, supported by International Copper Association Australia, which will profile smart and sustainable solutions across renewable energy, energy storage, water and waste treatment.
John Fennell, CEO of International Copper Association Australia says supporting the Decarbonisation Zone was an obvious choice for the organisation, given copper’s place as a critical mineral in the energy transition.
“Within Australia and New South Wales particularly, there’s opportunity to open up more of Australia’s copper reserves – but this will only meet a small portion of the demand in the coming years. We’re working on removing the silos that keep our industry from moving forward by sharing information, supporting gatherings like AIMEX and keeping the ‘big-picture’ future of decarbonisation in mind.”
AIMEX 2023 also features the Transformative Technology Pavilion, where exhibitors will showcase exponential technologies including AR, VR, robotics and big data solutions. Robotics expert and chair of Robotics Australia Group, Nathan Kirchner says that the mining industry is only just getting started when it comes to implementing exponential technology.
“The trend in industry is absolutely towards innovation, zero entry and more productivity with less people involved. But it’s not always about new technology, rather being efficient at implementing the technology we already have for exponential change. Coming together at events like AIMEX and presenting our ideas allows us to keep the conversation moving forward to implement the technology that will keep our people safe in the future.”
Both Mr Fennell and Dr Kirchner are also speaking at the AIMEX conference, which will run adjacent to the exhibition with over 25 speakers discussing decarbonisation in mining, technical innovation and ESG over the 3 days.
But the conference isn’t the only learning opportunity on offer, with a free and exclusive bulk materials handling workshop by TUNRA Bulk Solids also open for registrations. Ideal for site engineers combining professional development with industry engagement, Dr Priscilla Freire of TUNRA Bulk Solids says the workshop combined with the experiences on offer at AIMEX makes a trip into Sydney extremely productive.
“In our free bulk materials handling workshop, we’ll spend two hours teaching content that’s not available in our regular training opportunities. It’s content that can be directly applied to procurement at AIMEX – teaching engineers and designers how to make informed decisions in upgrades and refinements to their conveyors and other materials handling systems,” said Dr Freire.
While the bulk materials handling workshop may only be relevant to a sub-set of AIMEX attendees, professionals at all levels of the mining industry are welcome at AIMEX’s two networking events: a Tuesday evening Austmine members-only event, and an AIMEX networking function on Wednesday afternoon, held in conjunction with NSW Mining.
Exhibition Director Samantha Martin says this year’s AIMEX will be one to remember, from thought-provoking discussions and collaborations to best-in-class products on display.
“AIMEX is held every two years, so it’s a great time for the industry to gather and reflect on our progress, but also to see what’s new and what we need to implement to secure our place in a changing market for the future,” said Ms Martin.
Register to attend AIMEX 2023 for free today. Registration includes the conference and exhibition, and can be completed at aimex.com.au. Visitors are encouraged to pre-register to avoid delays at the event, with a simple online process open until the event kicks off.