AIMEX — the Asia-Pacific's International Mining Exhibition — has been running longer than almost any other mining trade show in Australia. It's the event that the industry has returned to repeatedly, through commodity booms and downturns, through the shift from analogue to digital mine management, and through the ongoing pressure to decarbonise heavy industry.

The 2025 edition carries an extra layer of significance. For the first time, AIMEX is moving out of Sydney and relocating to Adelaide, South Australia — a shift secured through a ten-year government bid. The show runs September 23 to 25 at Adelaide Showground in Wayville.

Why Adelaide, Why Now

South Australia made a deliberate play for AIMEX. The state government put together a competitive bid, won a decade-long hosting agreement, and committed to supporting the event's growth. That's not a small investment, and it reflects where South Australia sees itself in the national mining picture.

The state is home to Olympic Dam, one of the world's largest known uranium deposits and a significant copper and gold producer. It has active iron ore, copper, and mineral sands operations, and is positioning itself as a hub for critical minerals processing as global demand for battery inputs grows. Bringing AIMEX to Adelaide puts the show physically closer to a significant slice of Australian mining activity.

For exhibitors and visitors, Adelaide also offers a more compact, navigable city compared to Sydney. The Showground venue is well-located, and the 2025 format spreads events across multiple iconic venues — including Adelaide Oval and the National Wine Centre — for the conference sessions and awards nights.

What to Expect on the Floor

The 2025 show expects more than 230 exhibitors and upwards of 5,000 registered decision-makers from over 30 countries. International participants come from China, India, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, and Italy, among others. That breadth matters — Australian mining procurement teams rarely get this concentration of global suppliers in one place.

The exhibition layout includes dedicated pavilions for mining companies, transformative technology, and research and development. BHP is the naming rights sponsor of the Mining Pavilion, which gives a sense of the calibre of anchor participants. There's also a Decarbonisation Showcase covering electrification and emissions reduction technology — a section that's grown significantly in recent years as mines move toward cleaner energy sources.

The three-day conference is free to attend with registration. Sessions cover safety, workforce, sustainability, automation, and the energy transition. Real-world case studies tend to dominate these sessions — practitioners talking about what actually worked, rather than aspirational presentations.

Quick Reference

The Meet the Buyers Platform

One feature worth knowing about is AIMEX's structured Meet the Buyers programme. It lets exhibitors book direct meetings with procurement officers and project decision-makers ahead of the event — a pre-scheduled format that cuts through the noise of a busy show floor. For suppliers trying to reach specific companies or project types, this mechanism can deliver more in an afternoon than a week of cold outreach.

For companies in the attachment and demolition equipment space, Australian mining represents one of the most demanding operating environments in the world. Hard-rock sites in Western Australia, South Australia, and Queensland push equipment to its limits. Buyers here tend to have strong technical opinions about what works, and they compare notes. A presence at AIMEX — whether as an exhibitor or a visitor — puts you in the room where those conversations happen.