Quick Answer
IMARC 2026 is Australia's largest mining event, held with Mines and Money @ IMARC. Key facts:
- 27–29 October 2026 at ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour
- Hours: 9:00am–5:30pm Tue/Wed, 9:00am–4:30pm Thu
- Australia's largest mining event — 500+ exhibitors, 120+ countries, 50+ government delegations
- Mines and Money @ IMARC runs co-located and is included in paid passes
- Delegate pass $4,245 ($3,795 discounted); Member pass $3,545; Expo visitor $40
- Free qualified passes for mining operators, investors, downstream buyers and NextGen leaders
- Group discounts: 10% for 3+, 15% for 6+ delegates
- IMARC 2027: 12–14 October 2027, ICC Sydney
What is IMARC?
IMARC — the International Mining and Resources Conference + Expo — is Australia's largest mining event and the anchor of what organisers call Australia's International Mining Week. It combines a multi-stream conference with an exhibition of 500+ global solution providers, drawing attendees from 120+ countries and 50+ government delegations. Founding partners are AusIMM, Austmine, Mines and Money and the Victorian Government, with the NSW Government as Host Partner.
When and where is IMARC 2026?
IMARC 2026 runs Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 October 2026 at ICC Sydney in Darling Harbour. Daily hours are 9:00am–5:30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday and 9:00am–4:30pm on Thursday. ICC Sydney is a short walk from Town Hall station and roughly 20 minutes from Sydney Airport. Online pre-registration is essential — you cannot simply turn up at the door.
What is Mines and Money @ IMARC?
Mines and Money @ IMARC is the investment side of the event, co-located and running across the same three days as the Investment Conference Stream. It brings thousands of investors — asset managers, private equity, funds, family offices — into the same building as the operators and service providers. Every paid IMARC pass includes access to the Mines and Money stream, so you do not need a separate ticket.
The 2026 conference streams
IMARC 2026 runs five parallel streams plus a plenary: Global Opportunities, Operational Excellence, Project Development & Delivery, Technology & Innovation, and the Mines and Money Investment Conference Stream, alongside Plenary Theatre presentations, the Mining Operations & Capability Program and IMARC Exchange Roundtables. For contractors, Operational Excellence and Project Development & Delivery are where your buyers sit.
Which pass does a contractor actually need?
This is the question that trips people up. If you provide products or services to the industry — labour hire, maintenance, shutdowns, equipment, software — you are not eligible for the free Mining Guest Pass, which is reserved for employees of mining and energy companies (market cap $500m+) and contract miners in purchasing, operations or asset management roles. Service providers take the Delegate pass ($4,245 / $3,795 discounted), the Member pass ($3,545 / $3,145) if you hold AusIMM, Austmine, MCA or AREEA membership, or the Expo visitor pass ($40, free subject to qualification) if you only need the exhibition floor.
Free and discounted passes worth knowing about
IMARC runs several complimentary qualified passes: free mining operator guest passes for major and mid-tier miners, a dedicated NSW mine-site personnel pass, the Investor pass (buy-side roles only, with a five-meeting minimum expectation), the Downstream Buyer pass for OEM procurement, and the NextGen Leaders pass for early-career attendees. Group discounts apply to paid passes: 10% for 3+ delegates and 15% for 6+, booked at the same time.
Why mining contractors should be at IMARC
No other Australian event puts this density of mine operators, procurement leads, project owners and asset managers in one building. The free Mining Guest and operator passes mean the people who sign contracts are actively incentivised to attend and to take meetings with METS suppliers — approved mining guests are required to meet with equipment, technology and services companies. That is a rare structural advantage: your buyer has been asked to talk to you.
How to work the three days
Get on the Connect meeting platform the day registration confirms and send meeting requests early — the good slots go weeks out. Build a shortlist of operators by site and commodity, not by company size. Take a one-page capability sheet with your scopes, regions, prequalification status and safety statistics, not a brochure stack. Ask each operator which prequalification portal they run (Avetta, Cm3, Pegasus, Rapid Global) and what compliance evidence they require. Follow up inside 48 hours with something specific from the conversation.
Gala Dinner Awards and International Mining Week
The IMARC Gala Dinner Awards is the marquee social night — tables of 10 are $3,950. Around the main event, Sydney hosts a broader calendar of sideline events across International Mining Week: country programs and pavilions, the Hosted Buyer Program, Innovation & Investment Alley and a run of partner functions. If you are flying in, budget for evenings as well as days; a meaningful share of the value is after 5:30pm.
Where IMARC sits in the calendar (and 2027 dates)
IMARC lands late in the year, after the September rush of the AusIMM Critical Minerals Conference (21–23 September, Brisbane), the Australian Mining Prospect Awards and WA Mining (16–17 September), and the AusIMM New Leaders Summit (30 September – 1 October). If you can only do one national event a year, IMARC is usually the one. IMARC 2027 is already locked in for 12–14 October 2027 at ICC Sydney.
IMARC 2026 pass types and pricing
| Pass type | Standard | Discounted / qualified |
|---|---|---|
| Delegate pass | $4,245 | $3,795 |
| Member pass (AusIMM, Austmine, MCA, AREEA) | $3,545 | $3,145 |
| Mining and energy pass | $2,445 | $1,895 |
| Government pass | $2,845 | $2,395 |
| Expo visitor pass | $40 | Free (subject to qualification) |
| Mining guest pass | — | Free (subject to qualification) |
| Investor pass | — | Free (subject to qualification) |
| Downstream buyer pass | — | Free (subject to qualification) |
| NextGen leaders pass | — | Free (subject to qualification) |
| Media pass | — | Free (accredited media only) |
| Gala dinner — table of 10 | $3,950 | — |
All prices AUD and subject to GST. Free passes are individually assessed against eligibility criteria and are not guaranteed. Confirm current rates with IMARC before booking — online pre-registration is essential.
Turn IMARC conversations into mobilised work
SprintSuite connects quoting, scheduling, field capture, safety and invoicing — with live training, licences, medicals and inductions against every worker, so you can answer prequalification questions on the spot and mobilise fast when the scope lands.
Related reading: AusIMM Critical Minerals Conference 2026 · AusIMM New Leaders Summit 2026 · Australian Mining Prospect Awards 2026 · WA Mining Conference & Exhibition 2026 · Shutdown management in mining.
