Australia’s largest exploration and mining conference is just around the corner, with more than 2,500 delegates expected to flood the Esplanade Hotal in Fremantle for the 2025 RIU Explorers Conference later this month.
More than 150 exhibitors and more than 100 presenters will be on the ground for the three-day event, from a diverse range of exploration and mining companies as well as brokers and analysts from Gold Sponsor, Canaccord Genuity Australia.
The hot topic this year is expected to be gold, which has unsurprisingly emerged as the top-performing commodity so far in 2025 with its price reaching record highs due to increased physical demand for the precious metal and escalating geopolitical risks.
According to Vertical Events Business Development Manager Jaxon Crabb, many investors will tune in to gold-focused explorers and developers during RIU Explorers, particularly following the success story of local gold miner Spartan Resources.
“This year’s RIU Explorers Conference will bring a strong line-up of junior explorers in the gold sector, and with the soaring price of gold, we expect these emerging players could evolve into the next Spartan or Westgold Resources,” he said.
“This exciting potential is what makes this event stand out from the rest, with executives and managing directors from a variety of exploration and production companies all in the same location, ready to have a chat with investors.”
Other hot topics on the conference floor will include the impact of recent tariff decisions made by US President Donald Trump, and the impending merger and acquisition year as larger organisations actively seek deals with small to mid-cap companies.
One potential deal that is capturing the industry’s attention is Northern Star Resources’ proposed $5 billion takeover of De Grey Mining, which recently announced another set of stellar drilling results at its Hemi Gold Project in the Pilbara region of WA.
“The RIU Explorers Conference will feature a dynamic line up of high-potential companies, positioning them as prime prospects for mergers or acquisitions in a rapidly evolving market,” Jaxon explained.
“Events like RIU Explorers are the perfect launchpad for companies looking to entice investment from both other companies and investors, with more than 2,500 attendees expected for 2025.
RIU Explorers is held at the Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle, Western Australia, from Tuesday 18 February to Thursday 20 February.