“It has the perfect balance of the main industries that make up the resources sector,” RIU Conferences General Manager and Vertical Events Business Development Manager Jaxon Crabb describes the upcoming RIU Explorers Conference to Mining.com.au.
The RIU Explorers Conference, held in Fremantle, Western Australia, is kicking off next week, featuring mineral explorers and resources investors alike from 17-19 February 2026.
Held at the Esplanade Hotel Fremantle by Rydges in Western Australia, Crabb says the conference continues to grow its popularity due to this balance of attendees.
“First and foremost, this conference has the largest number of both junior and mid-cap sized ASX-listed resources companies that participate at an event in Australia,” Crabb tells this news service.
“It also has a large number of the key service providers who provide the service and equipment for the resources companies to operate, and probably most importantly we pride ourselves on ensuring that the RIU explorers conference brings the largest and most diverse range of investors.”
The 2026 program has seen an increase in delegate registrations from last year’s record highs.
The RIU Explorers Conference brought in 2,400 delegates last year, with a record number of registrations. By 27 January 2026, the conference had received 300 more registrations than the same day last year.
“This, together with the strength of the current resources market, gives us great confidence the 2026 RIU Explorers Conference will exceed last year‘s delegate numbers and hit a new record,” Crabb says.
As reported by Mining.com.au, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) December 2025 Resources and Energy Quarterly forecasts a slower 2026 for resources and energy sectors before a modest recovery in 2027.
The global outlook forecasts the recovery to follow on from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) growth of 3.2% in 2025 and 3.1% in 2026.
DISR outlines that 2026 will bring a year of struggles for the resources and energy sectors due to global trade restrictions.
Gold on everyone’s mind
It’s the commodity that separates the riches from the rags, and its price is only continuing to create conversations across the mining community.
On 29 January 2026, the price of gold hit a brand new record of over US$5,500 per ounce, as reported by Mining.com.au, before retreating back to the upper end of the US$4,000.
Trading Economics reports the precious metal to have retreated to around US$4,600 on 2 February, before hitting back up to US$4,818 the following day, indicating an increase of 68.99% for this year over year.
“I expect gold to be one of the main discussion points during the conference, particularly the current gold price, and if the price has hit its highest point or if there could be more uplift in the gold price,” Crabb explains.
There’s no guarantee the commodity will creep back above its recent record ahead of the 2026 program at RIU, though PC Gold (ASX:PC2) CEO Ashley Pattison tells this news service that the company expects a strong performance from gold in 2026.
“If gold prices remain at elevated levels, producers should be generating significant cash, and that typically drives more M&A (mergers and acquisitions) activity as larger companies look to deploy capital and secure future growth,” Pattison tells Mining.com.au.
“That environment is generally supportive for quality developers and explorers with scale, strong fundamentals and clear pathways to growth.”
PC Gold will be presenting in this year’s program at 4.10pm AWST on 17 February.
The company is focused on upgrading the resource estimate at the Spring Hill Project in the Northern Territory, which currently hosts 821,000 ounces of gold with expansion potential across a 5km mineralised corridor.
Fremantle brings home the money
In the mining hub of Australia, Western Australia is central to many explorers and resources investors, making Fremantle opportune for the RIU Explorers Conference.
“RIU works because it brings everyone together in one place, and Fremantle is a great location – easy for brokers and investors to get to, and consistently well attended by ASX explorers and developers,” Pattison adds.
Pattison explains to this news service that RIU is a great opportunity for early stage explorers as it connects companies with peers and investors by creating opportunities to share how assets are progressing.
“When you consider that a large number of our participating resources companies are still in the exploration stage, they desperately need investors to fund their exploration activities,” Crabb tells Mining.com.au.
“Some of the main benefits for those who are interested in attending the RIU Explorers Conference for the first time is that you have such a high concentration of the major participants from the resources and investment industry at one location.
“People who are from Perth typically base themselves down in Fremantle for the week, therefore, those that are traveling from other parts of Australia will have many many opportunities to connect and engage and create business opportunities with the local Perth people.
“Another benefit of the event is that there are a number of social events in the evenings. These events are effective in building on the new relationships started during the day.”
Crabb explains that the Fremantle program has continued to deliver “high calibre like-minded, educated, astute, diverse range of investors”.
Alma Metals (ASX:ALM) is one Australian copper explorer setting off to the conference this month.
Managing Director Frazer Tabeart tells Mining.com.au that the Fremantle-based conference stands out each year from its competitors as it “consistently attracts a high-quality audience of serious investors, brokers, and industry participants who are genuinely engaged with early-stage and development stories”.
“As one of the first major conferences on the calendar each year, attendees are rested, refreshed and ready to engage,” Tabeart says.
“Being held in Western Australia, the heart of Australia’s resources industry, adds to the depth and relevance of the event.
“The format also encourages meaningful one-on-one discussions rather than just presentations, which is particularly valuable for companies like Alma that are moving into an important development phase.”
The RIU Explorers Conference will be held in Fremantle, Western Australia between 17-19 February 2026 at the Esplanade Hotel Fremantle by Rydges in Western Australia. Mining.com.au is a media partner for this conference.