New venue for NFU Conference in 2012

The annual NFU Conference is on the move to a brand new venue – Birmingham’s International Convention Centre (ICC).

Staged on February 21 and 22 2012, the two-day event, "Meeting the Challenge", is expected to attract nearly 1,000 farmer and grower delegates to the nation’s second city.

From the political challenges posed both within the UK and the European Union to the business climate and the impact on our farmer and grower businesses, some of the most influential voices will be on hand to share their thoughts and answer questions.

Among the names already pencilled in to speak on day one are the Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, Secretary of State, Defra, the Rt Hon Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State, BIS, and EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Cioloş.

The second day will include a Question and Answer session featuring the Rt Hon Jim Paice MP, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, Mary Creagh MP, Shadow Defra Secretary of State, writer and broadcaster Jay Rayner, and respected journalist Charles Clover.

NFU director of policy Martin Haworth said: "The NFU’s annual conference is one of the most important events in the agricultural industry calendar, so it was imperative to secure an impressive venue that could accommodate our many high profile speakers as well as our members, who travel from across England and Wales.

"The ICC boasts a wealth of experience in hosting events such as this, and along with its state of the art facilities and central location, made it the stand out location.

"As well as having some of the most influential political and business voices on hand to share thoughts and answer questions, NFU Conference encourages delegates to interact with board chairmen, chief advisers and guest speakers. Apart from the debates in the main hall, we will again have a number of commodity breakout sessions, early bird meetings and sector specific workshops, with particular focus on tenant issues, the uplands and the next generation."