Star speakers for inaugural ARC

By ASX

In a major initiative to support the resource sector, the Australian Securities Exchange has launched the Australian Resources Conference & Trade Show (ARC), to be held in Perth from November 12-14, 2012. ARC is a joint initiative between ASX and the Australian Financial Review, with support from the Western Australian Government and Commowealth Department of Resources and Energy.

Learn more about ARC and register.

ASX expects ARC to draw up to 2500 attendees from Australia and overseas and become the pre-eminent Asia-Pacific resource event. It believes ARC will be among the world’s top resource conferences and an important annual fixture for global resource companies and investors.

The inaugural event features addresses from:

• Western Australian Premier, Colin Barnett.
• Federal Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson.
• Fortescue Metals Group Chairman, Andrew Forrest.
• WorleyParsons CEO John Grill.
• ASX CEO, Elmer Funke Kupper.
• Future Fund Chairman, David Gonksi.
• Professor Brian Cox.
• Senior government officials from Mongolia.

Listed@ASX asked Will Wilson, ASX General Manager of Sales and Marketing, about the rationale behind ARC and what it will offer resource companies, and institutional and retail investors.

Listed@ASX: Will, why did ASX launch such a big event for the resources industry?

Will Wilson: There were three main reasons. First, the resource sector is a vital part of the ASX equity market. About 1000 of 2230 ASX-listed companies are resource-related, and an increasing number have projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Mongolia. We believe ARC can play an important role in linking Australian resource companies with local and global capital.

The second reason was the opportunity to bring the resource sector together in an all-encompassing event. Australian resource events tend to be diverse, fragmented, or sub-sector specific, even though there is an obvious need to bring industry participants together in a single forum, which ASX is well placed to do. ASX also felt Australia needs a world-class resource event that can hold its own with the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference, and the Mining Indaba conference in South Africa.

The third reason for ARC was ASX’s broader strategy to support small and mid-size ASX-listed companies, many of which are resource-related. ARC is designed for all ASX-listed resource companies, large and small, but we have paid special attention to giving smaller companies an opportunity to present, arrange a booth, and have one-on-one meetings with institutional investors.

Listed@ASX: Who will attend ARC?

Will Wilson: We expect about half the attendees will be Australian and international institutional investors and intermediaries, 30 per cent will be resource and resource-services companies, and 20 per cent will be retail investors. Financial intermediaries are an important part of ARC. ASX will work with broking firms to provide tickets they can offer to their high-net-worth clients.

Listed@ASX: ARC has a very comprehensive, varied format. What was the logic for that?

Will Wilson: To be a genuinely all-encompassing resource event, ARC has to cater to the needs of the mining, energy and resource-services sectors, and have content that appeals to large and small resource companies, local and global institutional investors, intermediaries and retail investors.

There are three key streams: plenary sessions featuring keynote speakers from government and major resource company executives, together with detailed commodity outlook sessions; technical and professional development sessions; and an Investors Exchange which will involve presentations from listed resource and resource related companies. It is a very full agenda that is purposely designed for a diverse audience.

In the Investors Exchange we expect to have at least 100 resource companies providing a short presentation, manning their booth, and having access to one-on-one meetings with institutional investors that seek more information from small and mid-size ASX-listed resource companies.

Listed@ASX: What has been the early response to ARC?

Will Wilson: We are very pleased with the response so far. An event of this scale takes more than a year to plan and requires months of promotion. Most pleasing is the quality of speakers ARC has already attracted, with more prominent speakers to be announced in due course. I don’t think the Australian resource sector has ever had such a distinguished group of speakers in a single forum.

I am also very pleased with the international interest in ARC to date. We are seeking to attract a significant investor audience from China and India given their emergence as key players in the Australian resources story. Other interested international delegates are originating from Africa, South America and Central Asia, key destinations for Australian listed resource company investments.

Listed@ASX: What should readers do next if they want more information on ARC?

Will Wilson: Visit the ARC website to learn more about the event and register early. Companies in particular need to register early to secure their sponsorship package, which includes a presentation opportunity, company booth and one-on-one interviews with investors. Places at ARC at starting to fill up, so it is important that interested parties register early.