Thousands of mining and fossil fuel executives in Sydney for a prestigious summit can book their return tickets for 2023.
The NSW capital will host the International Mining and Resources Conference for a second consecutive year in 2023, Deputy Premier Paul Toole said on Friday.
"This year NSW secured IMARC - the biggest event on the mining calendar - for the first time in its history and I'm pleased to say this event has led to a $17 million boost to the state's economy," he said.
The three-day conference, closing on Friday, united 7500 delegates from more than 100 countries including industry leaders, diplomats, commodity buyers, financiers and innovators - and a handful of demonstrators.
The vast expo floor showcased a robot called Wombat, a $2.5 million electric truck still dusty from its work 2km underground and nanosatellites for mapping mine sites.
There were also more than 100 junior miners, many of them from critical minerals start-ups that could be crucial to meet the world's demand for clean energy technology and high-tech products in the decades ahead.
"Mining has never been more important," Beacon events boss Anita Richards said.
"It is the biggest business event since the pandemic and we'll be coming back bigger and stronger."
She told AAP the next conference would include school students to show them why mining is important to Australia's future, and the world, and to attract the next generation of workers.
The Victorian government is a founding partner of the event that began in Melbourne, and organisers are looking at a return in 2025.
Sydney may be the financial capital of Australia, bringing investors to the expo floor, but Melbourne aims to be the mining, equipment, technology and services (METS) capital.
The last IMARC conference in 2019 was marked by clashes between police and climate change protesters who want an end to coal mining in Australia.
"We would love to be back in Melbourne," Ms Richards said.
"Unfortunately, the venue issues and police issues just make it difficult."
Mr Toole said NSW was experiencing an exploration boom that could translate to significant growth in the sector.
"Exciting things are happening in the critical minerals and high-tech metals sector and NSW is ideally placed to be a global leader when it comes to developing emerging technologies for key defence, medical and aerospace industries," he said.
Organisers warned delegates this week not to show their conference identification outside the Darling Harbour venue, where there has been a heavy police presence.
Climate activists say police warned them not to demonstrate at the summit.
"We need to protest against IMARC. It is our future these polluters are planning to destroy," Chris Black, from School Strike 4 Climate, said.
