The Bendigo Gem Club's expo is moving to the Bendigo Showgrounds exhibition centre for its 43^rd event and hopes the event will expand with using a larger site.

Expo coordinator Andie Downing said the change of venue came after the Browning Street Leisure Centre and the Junortoun Baptist Church were both as being redeveloped.

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"Moving out to exhibition space at the showgrounds is a more central location for us and gives us the potential to have more things in there to grow the event," Ms Downing said. "It's won't happen overnight but we will be set up for future years.

"We usually get between 1000 and 1500 people across the expo's weekend and it ranges from children and families starting their collections to die-hard rockhounds and minerals collectors.

"Vendors from all over Australia come to the expo and this year we are getting new opal mineral vendors, so that adds to the expansion of the event and makes it a unique gathering for Bendigo."

This year's expo will have more than 20 stallholders with workshops as well as displays and demonstrations of glowing rocks, gem sifting and rock identification.

Members will be on hand to discuss all things gems and show how to cut and polish your own stones, facet gemstones and how to hand-fabricate sterling silver into original jewellery items.

The annual expo is the Bendigo Gem Club's major fundraiser each year.

"We are a not-for-profit organisation and we do need to maintain the club, which is what the event helps us do," Ms Downing said.

"We own our premises at Galvin Street and we want to keep raising awareness that we have this community facility that is unique and one of the best - equipment wise - in Australia.

"Our members come from all over the state and being in the Goldfields, a lot of geologists and people are out there fossicking - not only for gold, but for the gems and crystals that are out there as well. It's a bit of an understated activity.

"Membership died off a bit over COVID and there is a bit of a downturn away from volunteerism in general. A lot of clubs like ours struggle to get people and volunteers to help and we rely on members to run our shows and the club."

The Bendigo Gem Club's annual expo is on February 25 and 26 at the Bendigo Showgrounds' exhibition centre from 10am each day. Entry is $8 for adults and free for children under 12.

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