Providing A Platform For Industry Progress

Bulk Expo 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most significant gatherings of Australia’s bulk materials handling sector. The expo has already sold more than 80 per cent of exhibition space. 

Scheduled for 16-17 September at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the event is attracting strong support from suppliers, manufacturers, engineers and operators looking to stay ahead of the challenges and opportunities reshaping the industry.

Among the companies exhibiting is Leveltec Engineering, which sees the event as an important opportunity to connect directly with industry professionals and showcase technologies that improve safety and operational performance.

Leveltec Engineering is an Australian-owned manufacturing and technical distribution business that has spent more than a decade supporting bulk materials handling operations. However, the product that established its reputation goes back much further. Its conveyor safety and monitoring solutions, particularly its tilt switches, have been operating across mines, ports and quarries for more than 40 years. Today, the business supplies a broader range of conveyor safety, monitoring and industrial electrical solutions, while also representing several international technology providers in Australia.

That experience gives the company a practical perspective on why industry events such as Bulk Expo continue to  matter.

More than just another trade show

Leveltec Engineering Managing Director Ben Stokes explains why the company decided to exhibit.

For many exhibitors, trade shows are an opportunity to showcase products. Ben sees Bulk Expo as something more valuable.

“Honestly, it would be harder to justify not being there. Everything happening at Bulk Expo 2026 is directly relevant to what we do. The people, the conversations and the challenges being worked through across the floor are all directly connected to our industry,” he said.

“There’s also a timing element. The bulk handling sector is in the middle of some real shifts right now with a genuine push toward wireless and remote monitoring, serious attention on extending the life of ageing infrastructure rather than replacing it, and tightening compliance expectations across safety-critical systems. We’ve got products and capability that sit right in the middle of those conversations, and Bulk Expo is the best environment to have them.”

The strong exhibitor response appears to support that view. More than 80 per cent of the show floor has already been secured, highlighting the appetite across the sector for face-to-face engagement and practical discussions around operational performance, safety and efficiency.

As investment decisions become increasingly influenced by automation, compliance and asset optimisation, events such as Bulk Expo provide a platform where suppliers and operators can discuss solutions in a real-world context.

An industry facing major change

The bulk materials handling sector services a diverse range of industries including mining, quarrying, grain handling, ports and processing. While each sector has its own challenges, many are confronting similar pressures around ageing infrastructure, workforce shortages and increasing regulatory expectations.

According to Ben, that shared experience is one of the reasons industry gatherings remain relevant.

“For the industry more broadly, events like this matter because bulk handling is genuinely complex. It spans mining, ports, grain, quarrying and processing, and the people running those operations benefit from being in the same room as the engineers, OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and suppliers who are solving similar problems from different angles,” he said. “That cross-pollination of ideas is how the industry moves forward.”

Rather than operating in isolation, operators can compare approaches, evaluate technologies and gain insight into how similar challenges are being addressed  elsewhere.

That collaborative environment is particularly important at a time when businesses are being asked to do more with existing assets. Across Australia, conveyor systems and associated infrastructure that have been operating for decades remain critical to production. Extending their service life safely and cost-effectively has become a priority for many operators.

Practical solutions for real-world challenges

At Bulk Expo 2026, Leveltec plans to focus on technologies that address some of the industry’s most pressing operational issues.

“One big one for us is wireless monitoring, specifically what’s now possible for remote and overland conveyors where running cable just isn’t practical or economic,” Ben said.

“We’re also seeing enormous demand from operators who need to keep ageing infrastructure operating safely like operator consoles, joysticks, and foot pedals that are dust compliant and ergonomic. There’s a huge amount of conveyor equipment across Australia and we have leading solutions such as tilt switches, belt drift switches, switchgear, and emergency stop pull wires.That’s an area where we’ve built a strong reputation.”

The company will also showcase cable reels, chains and high current electrical connectors for fixed and moving plants. While the technologies themselves are important, Ben believes the broader conversation is about helping operators maintain reliability and compliance without unnecessary complexity.

Why the industry should be there

For visitors considering whether to attend, Ben sees Bulk Expo as an opportunity to gain access to expertise, technology and industry perspectives that are difficult to find in one place elsewhere.

“Because the industry is changing faster than it has in a long time, and standing still isn’t really an option. The pressures on bulk handling operations right now, including maintenance costs, skills shortages, compliance requirements and automation, aren’t going away,” he said.

“Bulk Expo 2026 is one of the few places where you can engage with all of those themes in a single setting alongside the people who are actually working through them. The most valuable thing the event does is put operators in the same room as the people supplying and innovating for them.”

Tickets are available here. 

Cranes & Lifting.