Centaur Exhibitions has announced it will kick start The Meetings Show UK, its new event for the UK inbound and outbound meetings industry, with a focused association conference.

The association conference will take place at The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre on 8 July 2013 - while the main show takes place on 9-11 July 2013 at Olympia.

Steve Knight, The Meetings Show UK’s event director, said: “In recognition of the particularly differing needs of association event organisers, The Meetings Show UK is holding a focused one-day conference, built around the key issues and challenges they face when creating events.”

Exact content for the one-day conference still is to be decided by the show’s education panel. Leading it is Sally Greenhill, managing director of event agency The Right Solution, who commented: “Associations are experiencing enormous changes in competition for members and pressure on revenues, which emphasises the need for their events to be as effective and innovative as possible. The Meetings Show UK is providing a platform for both UK and international associations to discuss all the latest issues and trends, to learn from experts and their peers, at a special day totally geared to their needs.”

The Meetings Show UK’s inaugural event is expected to attract 5,000 visitors and include 1,500 hosted buyers from across the UK and Europe.

Pictured: Steve Knight