MEDIA RELEASE Friday June 6, 2008
Reed Exhibitions to manage Rockhampton’s Queensland Resources Expo trade fair
Rockhampton Regional Council and Reed Exhibitions have announced a joint venture, under which Reed will take on the management and marketing of the Queensland Resources Expo (QREX) trade fair, which is held every two years in Rockhampton. The next QREX will be held from July 21-23, 2009, at the Rockhampton Showgrounds. The inaugural edition of QREX in May 2007 attracted 230 exhibiting companies, whose stands were visited by over 2800 registered trade visitors. QREX will complement Reed Exhibitions’ highly successful Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition (QME) in Mackay – also a biennial event – which will next take place from July 22-24, 2008. Established in Mackay since 1993, this year’s QME will play host to more than 500 exhibitors whose products cover all aspects of equipment, technology and services for the mining and related industries. The last edition of QME, in 2006, attracted over 10,000 trade visitors. John Gorton, Reed Exhibitions’ Group Exhibition Director, said the addition of QREX to Reed’s structured calendar of mining events would provide substantial benefits for the mining industry in Queensland. “There has been increasing demand for a major regional mining exhibition in Queensland on an annual basis – as shown by the success of the inaugural QREX in 2007,” he said. “Now by bringing QREX into the Reed stable of mining events, we have two highly complementary exhibitions catering for Central Queensland’s globally recognised resources industries. “Mackay is the key service city for the Bowen Basin, and is experiencing enormous growth in mining, construction and agriculture-related business – which is driving the continued success of QME,” Mr Gorton said. “For its part, Rockhampton is rapidly developing as the premier provider of goods and services to the southern Bowen Basin, as well as being a key alternative supply centre for northern Bowen Basin enterprises. “We can see considerable growth prospects for QREX in providing a much needed exhibition marketplace to service this dynamic region on a biennial basis.” He said Reed Exhibitions would work closely with QREX owner Rockhampton Regional Council and Rockhampton Tourist & Business Information to maximise the exhibition’s potential. Other stakeholders include Queensland Resources Council, Department of Mines & Energy, Department of Tourism, Regional Development & Business, Central Queensland University and key local media outlets.
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“While Reed Exhibitions’ primary focus will be the management of the QREX trade fair, we will also be providing our full support to our partners in the delivery of the exciting parallel program,” said Mr Gorton. “This will include an industry conference, industry site tours, skills competition, workshops covering key industry topics, an education and careers component and social events offering networking opportunities for visitors and exhibitors.” Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor Cr Brad Carter said he was equally enthusiastic about the new partnership. “After a highly successful first edition of QREX in 2007 – largely through the efforts of a small but dedicated local team – we felt that the time was right to partner with a major exhibition organiser in order to take QREX into the future,” he said. “We are delighted to have entered into a long-term agreement with Australia’s leading exhibition organiser in Reed Exhibitions, whose expertise in delivering quality mining exhibitions and its commitment to the growth and development of QREX will be major factors in the exhibition’s long-term development. “Reed Exhibitions’ QME in Mackay is held in high regard throughout Australia’s mining industry and demonstrates that exhibitions are a key component of the marketing mix for both suppliers and buyers,” Cr Carter said. “Held biennially in the alternate years to QME, QREX in Rockhampton fits in perfectly with Australia’s mining industry calendar. “QREX is firmly set to become a ‘must attend’ showcase for Central Queensland’s mining industry and of great interest to Australia’s resource trading partners,” he said. QREX will join Reed Exhibitions’ other Australian mining events which, in addition to QME in 2008 and 2010, include Asia-Pacific’s International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX), to be held in September 2011 in Sydney; Goldfields Mining Expo (GME), Kalgoorlie, October 2008 and 2010; and the NSW Mining & Energy Exhibition (M&E), Hunter Valley, September 2009. “Reed Exhibitions is continuing to build its structured calendar of mining events in Australia, allowing us to provide the industry’s most professionally run and transparent exhibitions – all independently audited – and backed up by carefully targeted marketing campaigns,” said Mr Gorton. “This assures exhibitors of the best possible show experiences and return on investment, working with a fully accountable team of industry professionals who know the mining sector extremely well.” Queensland Resources Expo (QREX) 2009 takes place from July 22-24 at the Rockhampton Showgrounds, Rockhampton, Queensland. Full information is available at www.qrex.com.au. Further information: Reed Exhibitions: John Gorton, Group Exhibition Director, Reed Exhibitions, ph (02) 9422 2511, mobile 0439 497 946, email john.gorton@reedexhibitions.com.au.
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Rockhampton Regional Development: Rick Palmer, Acting CEO, Rockhampton Regional Development Ltd, ph (07) 4927 0292, mobile 0418 270 294, email Chief.Executive@rrdl.com.au. Media: Spitfire Communications, Mark Cherrington, ph 0419 236 704, email mark.cherrington@spitfirecommunications.com.au.
ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS – AUSTRALIA Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading organiser of trade and consumer exhibitions and excels in creating high profile, highly targeted business and consumer exhibitions to establish and maintain business relations, and generate new business. From its offices based in Chatswood NSW, Reed Exhibitions runs over 20 events each year in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia covering a broad range of industry sectors. Globally, Reed Exhibitions runs over 460 events in 38 countries, bringing together over 90,000 suppliers and more than 5.5 million buyers. With 2,300 employees in 33 offices around the globe the company serves 52 industries worldwide. Its network of offices and promoters extends to 45 countries. Reed Exhibitions is a division of Reed Business Information Pty Ltd.
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