With the mining industry under pressure to do more with less – and faster – industry-wide collaboration is now essential. That is the guiding principle behind the expanded format of the International Mining and Resources Conference + Expo (IMARC), returning to ICC Sydney from 21-23 October 2025.
A key addition to IMARC 2025 is the Mining Operators Series, designed for frontline mining professionals. Attendees can earn CPD points, join technical sessions, network, and take part in a guided expo tour – free with a Mining Guest Pass.
What sets IMARC apart is its connection between the boardroom and the mine site. While industry heavyweights from Vale Base Metals, Wheaton Precious Metals and PLS tackle big-picture trends, site-level experts will also share insights on implementation and impact.
BHP Mine Projects Superintendent Ben Edwards is among a host of site managers who will be part of IMARC’s new Mining Operators Series. A mining engineer with over 15 years of experience leading major site system implementation projects, he says the program integration is valuable.
“Conversations about what really happens on site and what is important to sites and operations are needed at large conferences like IMARC,” Ben said.
“Traditionally, the line-up of speakers at these types of events is heavily weighted toward company executives who can be far removed from the challenges, threats and opportunities operations face.
“A conference like IMARC that can bring executives and company leaders together with onsite leaders and subject matter experts, hearing largely unfiltered information about what matters most, is very valuable.
“Every company has a flash roadmap or a whole off-site think tank about all the wonderful things technology could do, but few are willing to resource these initiatives on site, where they can be delivered and add value,” he says.
“One example is the vision companies have for more remote operations, which is a reasonable goal. But they often try to go from not even crawling – technologically speaking – to sprinting, without understanding the stages of development to get there.
“Companies also like to rely heavily on equipment manufacturers for project delivery, thinking they can outsource change management and implementation.
“But you can’t.
“You need site-based people, operational people that understand the operation, its people, and what problem we are trying to resolve before we can implement the solution.”
Veteran rock mechanics engineer Michael Burns, another speaker in this series, agrees, emphasising the need to unite high-level strategy with underground realities. As Superintendent of Geotechnical and Survey at MMG’s Rosebery mine in Tasmania, he notes that the introduction of new technologies often doesn’t survive initial contact with the “real world” of mine planning and engineering.
“I was fascinated hearing last year at IMARC about how AI was going to change the world but didn’t necessarily connect that to what I do day-to-day,” said Michael.
“My professional expertise is rock mechanics and data technologists haven’t got a clue what I do but equally I have no idea what they do. We’ve got to bridge that gap if we’re going to actually utilise all this emerging novel technology to have a real-world impact.
“If we are going to move things forward so that it takes six months rather than five years between the time when somebody brings a product to a site trial and then actually delivers something that’s workable, we need to collaborate. We all need to know that we’re pushing in the same direction.
“That way we can combine our relative experiences to get these technologies and products across the line much faster so we can actually start using them.”
| Register now for a free Mining Guest Pass and join the conversations shaping the future of mining operations at IMARC 2025. www.imarcglobal.com |
