The fifth annual event was a sell-out, attracting more than 2700 delegates, 270 exhibitors from 50 countries and a host of international keynote speakers.

Canaccord BGF executive chairman Warwick Grigor said the conference had been an outstanding success.

“Mines and Money has risen above its competition in China, as evidenced by an ever growing number of companies and investors who have travelled to Hong Kong to attend this year,” he said.

“From the Canaccord BGF perspective, it is the most important gathering in the Asian/Australian time zone, making it an essential opportunity to bring companies together to access the strongest growth region in the world.

“The sheer number of people and meetings demands military-like discipline for schedules.

It is a great opportunity to review companies and projects in different jurisdictions and with the global Canaccord coverage, we can match these corporate situations with the most appropriate market and stock exchanges.

“We are not bound to an ASX constricted view in seeking to maximise the outcomes of the corporates. It is a global platform.”

The conference and exhibition offered a truly global mix with delegates representing 50 nations. Australia, Canada, China, Mongolia, United Kingdom, USA, Singapore and Hong Kong, in particular, were strongly represented.

Australian gold explorers Gold Road and Crusader Resources were two exhibitors featured in the Hong Kong Conference and Exhibition Centre. Both were upbeat about the interest generated amongst delegates.

Gold Road business development manager Gordon Murray said the company, which was moving towards mining at its Yamarna gold belt project in Western Australia, had received a great deal of interest from international investors.

Crusader executive director Paul Stephen said the company had managed to get a booth due to a cancellation, but would make sure it registered early for 2013.

He said there had been a great deal of interest in Crusader’s Borborema gold project in Brazil.

Mines and Money sales director Pablo Martin said he had very pleased with both the exhibitor and attendee turnout.

“This has yet again been a record-breaking event and highlights the growing importance Hong Kong is having as a destination for mining investment,” he said.

“It is a fantastic testament to the interest the region has in this industry when the keynote speakers are addressing a packed conference room that has standing room only.

“Hong Kong is becoming the number one mining finance destination in the world and this is complemented by our event, which is now by far the largest of its kind in the region. We are already looking forward to an even bigger and better conference and exhibition in 2013.”