With the RIU Sydney Resources Round-Up fast approaching, what sets the RIU conferences apart from other events is the team’s diverse background in the resources sector.
Speaking to Mining.com.au ahead of the event, RIU Conferences General Manager Jaxon Crabb explains that the conferences are focused on employing people from the resources industry, rather than directly from the events space.
“Where we differ is that our group of people are from the industry,” Crabb notes.
“The person who kind of started RIU, Simon Hadfield, pretty much, he was a journalist in the resources industry back in the ’90s, and then he partnered up with Stewart McDonald, who was a company secretary and an accountant for ASX-listed junior resources and exploration companies.
“And then Stuart was the Managing Director, and he set out to employ people who were from the resources industry to run conferences, not to employ people from the conference or event industry to run the conferences.
“Myself, I was 9 years working for junior resources companies in an investor relations role, and the companies who I used to look after — they would exhibit and present at the RIU conferences.
“We try our best to tailor our conferences the way we would want it when we worked in the industry.”
Crabb mentions that he also has a background in the resources sector, having previously worked at Thundelarra Exploration during his nine years in investor relations for junior resources companies.
Thundelarra has since been rebranded as New Murchison Gold (ASX:NMG), a Western Australian gold explorer and developer focused on advancing its substantial package of tenements in the Murchison goldfield near Meekatharra.
Successful show in Sydney
Crabb described the RIU conferences as “quite successful” with its strategy to employ resources-experienced individuals.
“The key is to just do your best to put on a show that you think will be beneficial to your client,” Crabb explains.
“And I think that’s probably one of the reasons that RIU Explorers and RIU Sydney in the, you know, in the last 3 or 4 years have grown to the second and third biggest shows in Australia when it comes to mid-cap size exploration companies at an investment conference.”
The RIU Sydney Resources Round-Up will be held at the Hyatt Regency Sydney on 5–7 May 2026, acting as a forum for corporate mining investors, following the Fremantle event held annually in February.
The RIU Explorers Conference was held earlier this year 17–19 February 2026 at the Esplanade Hotel Fremantle by Rydges in Western Australia.
While the Fremantle event is local to many explorers, RIU Sydney stands out for its investor engagement.
“It’s attracting mostly people from the investment community,” Crabb tells Mining.com.au.
“It’ll be funds — particularly funds — but then it gets a nice slice of institutions, both Australian domestic and international stockbroking firms. A great contingent of all the big stockbroking firms in Australia makes an effort to attend the RIU Sydney.
“You’ve got your private equity groups and also your self-managed super fund and the retirees.”
Mining.com.au is a media partner for the RIU Sydney Resources Round-Up conference and will be in attendance at this year’s program.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: RIU Sydney Resources Round-Up