Latest on ARC

By ASX

ASX has had a strong response to the Australian Resources Conference and Trade Show (ARC), to be held in Perth from November 12-14, 2012. More than 500 delegates have already registered and attendance figures are rising rapidly as the conference draws nearer.
 
ARC is a joint initiative between ASX and the Australian Financial Review, with support from the Western Australian Government and the Commonwealth Department of Resources and Energy.

ASX organised ARC because it saw an opportunity to launch the pre-eminent Asia-Pacific resource event and make ARC an annual fixture among the world’s top resource conferences.

ARC will showcase Australian resource companies to local and international investors and, for the first time in Australia, bring together the mining and energy sectors in a major local event. It is an important part of ASX’s commitment to supporting ASX-listed resource companies.

Listed@ASX asked Will Wilson, ASX General Manager of Sales and Marketing, about the conference’s progress and recent developments.

Listed@ASX: Will, with just two months until ARC, how is the conference shaping up?

Will Wilson: We are very pleased with the response to ARC so far. We have expanded our featured speakers program, secured more sponsorships, attracted several exhibitors to the trade show component of ARC, and had good interest from local and institutional investors. The resources sector has really got behind ARC and we expect the momentum to increase as we get closer to the event.

Listed@ASX: Which featured speakers have been added to the program?

Will Wilson: ARC began with a strong foundation of speakers, including Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett, Federal Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson, Future Fund chairman David Gonski, ASX chief executive Elmer Funke Kupper, and prominent physicist and TV presenter Professor Brian Cox.

Recent additions to the ARC’s featured speakers program include: BHP Billiton Iron Ore president Jimmy Wilson, Rio Tinto Australia managing director David Peever, QR National CEO Lance Hockridge; Yancoal Australia CEO Murray Bailey, and Shell Development Australia’s vice- president of finance and strategy, Michael Carey. The full list of featured speakers is available here.

We are delighted with the quality of presenters at ARC. As you can see, it includes several of Australia’s most respected decision-makers in the mining, energy and resource-infrastructure sectors. Our goal was to put together a group of expert speakers who could provide insight on a range of resource issues, from exploration and production, to infrastructure, taxation and public policy.

Listed@ASX: Will, what has been the response from smaller resource companies to ARC?

Will Wilson: We expect a good line-up of small and mid-size resource companies will host a stand at the ARC Trade Show, and are well on the way to achieving our target of about 50 exhibitors. An important component of ARC is the Investors Exchange Forum within the Trade Show. It has been designed to allow small and mid-cap companies to present to retail investors, and runs across two days. ASX has worked with stockbroking firms to provide complimentary tickets to their key retail clients, and has promoted ARC directly to retail investors via ASX publications. We have almost achieved our target for retail investor attendance, and expect to host a vibrant Trade Show.

Listed@ASX: What has been the response from overseas investors to ARC?

Will Wilson: About a quarter of the delegates who have registered so far are internationally based. We have marketed ARC to offshore institutional investors who attend the popular ASX Spotlight Series, which takes ASX-listed small and mid-cap companies to London, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong each year. ARC is very conscious of the global focus of the resources sector, and the need to attract offshore investors, as well as ensure there is useful information and networking opportunities at ARC for Australian resource companies that are working in Africa, Mongolia, Latin America or other offshore markets.

Listed@ASX: You mentioned ARC has attracted several sponsors in the past few months. Which other companies supporting ARC?

Will Wilson: It’s been very pleasing to see a number of companies get behind ARC, and provide financial or other support to help make it a world-class event. ASX’s goal with ARC from day one was to launch an event that showcases Australia’s mining and energy sectors to the world, and for stakeholders across the resources sector to become part of ARC and play a role in promoting our world-class resource sector.

ARC is grateful for the support from the Financial Review (event partner), Chevron (gold sponsor), Link Market Services (Investors Exchange Forum sponsor), PWC (keynote speaker and networking area sponsor) and from other companies that are sponsors at ARC. The full list of sponsors is available here.

Listed@ASX: Where can companies and institutional investors get more information about attending ARC?

Will Wilson: Register Now has information on individual and group registrations and fees. You can receive more information on ARC by making an Expression of Interest, via Register Now.

Enquiries about sponsorship and exhibition should be made to Kirsty O’Brien, Senior Sponsorship and Exhibitions Account Manager, on +61 2 9265 0776 or email kobrien@arinex.com.au