Organisers Reed Exhibitions attributed this early support to the current buoyancy of the mining industry and associated strong construction and agricultural activity.

“QME 2004 was considered by the majority of exhibitors and visitors to be the most impressive edition yet,” industrial exhibitions director John Gorton said.

“With the strong growth in the mining sector over the past two years, along with Reed Exhibitions’ commitment to continual improvement and growth, we anticipate that QME 2006 will be an even better showcase for the Queensland mining industry.”

Gorton said that representatives from leading mining companies would again be invited to participate in the successful “Meet The Buyer” program.

QME receives support from government authorities and leading industry organisations, including the Queensland Department of State Development and Innovation, the Mining Equipment and Services Council of Australia and the Mackay Area Industry Network.

Visitor delegations from a range of countries and regions around the world will also be attending, with Chinese delegates in particular likely to be well represented – as they were in 2004.