Conference season is well and truly here with weekly events across the Australian sector.

The NSW Minerals Council Mining Exploration Forum will be held in Sydney next Monday and will include the naming of NSW Explorer of the Year.

The nominees are zinc developer Heron Resources, polymetallic explorer Impact Minerals, and New Gold subsidiary Peak Gold Mines.

The RIU Sydney Resources Round-up will be held next Wednesday and Thursday, and features presentations from over 40 junior explorers and mining commentators.

On May 17-18, Paydirt’s Latin America Down Under conference will be held in Perth, featuring a keynote from Australian Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, as well as South American government ministers and mining companies.

For something a bit different, Austmine 2017 will be held in Perth on May 22-24, with a heavy focus on innovation.

The program features presentations from iron ore heavyweights including Roy Hill Holdings CEO Barry Fitzgerald and Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Chris Salisbury, as well as Aussie mid-tiers such as Independence Group MD Peter Bradford and Resolute Mining boss John Welborn.

Resources Rising Stars on the Gold Coast will cap off a busy month for conferences, with Northern Star Resources and Sandfire Resources among the 35-plus speakers.

Galaxy Resources managing director Anthony Tse and Vimy Resources CEO Mike Young will speak at the Sydney Mining Club this week, Mandalay Resources, Navarre Minerals and Stavely Minerals will present to the MelbourneMining Club on May 16, and Dacian Gold boss Rohan Williams will take the stage at the WA Mining Club on May 25.

Rio Tinto will hold its Australian annual general meeting in Sydney on Thursday, while OZ Minerals’ will take place in Adelaide towards the end of the month.

It’s also set to be a busy month for news, particularly if the current trading halts are anything to go by.

Pilbara Minerals is due to come out of a trading halt tomorrow with an offtake announcement, and possibly financing, for its Pilgangoora project.

AVZ Minerals is set to find out this month if it can acquire the Manono lithium project in the Democratic Republic of Congo as planned.

A third party is challenging ownership of the project, with a decision to be handed down by mid-May.

Fellow African lithium player Birimian is in suspension over an “internal corporate reorganisation” and “internal corporate review”.

Emerald Resources called a trading halt on Friday over the release of the definitive feasibility study for the Okvau gold project in Cambodia, as well as a maiden reserve.

The company said the DFS was expected to demonstrate enhanced project economics when compared to the prefeasibility study released in 2015.

Energia Minerals went into a trading halt this morning pending a revised resource estimate for its Gorno zinc project in Italy.

A DFS is also imminent.

Graphite player Triton Minerals remains suspended from trading as it awaits an ASX review of its scoping study for the Ancuabe project.

The ASX received the document for review on April 19.

Gold developer Kin Mining is taking advantage of a near-doubling in its share price in April to boost its coffers, calling a trading halt this morning.

And Riva Resources, called a trading halt today over an update on its Tabac cobalt-gold project in WA.

It comes after the company said last month that it was drilling “the most anticipated cobalt drill hole in Australia”.

The pipeline of initial public offerings has slowed a little, but silver developer Manuka Resources and iron ore and lithium spin-off Macarthur Australia are slated to list this month.

Pending a successful IPO, Bryah Resources may just scrape in, while Huntsman Resources, Raptor Resources and Nelson Resources are still trying to float.