The theme for this year's Summer Eventia conference, to be held at the breathtaking Lowry Hotel in Manchester from 6-8 July, is Empowering for the Future.

One of the most popular meetings and events industry annual get-togethers for Eventia members will include the usual mix of keynote and workshop sessions, this year focusing on the economy, education and the changing business environment. As usual, the event will feature a number of motivational and networking activities.

The event will start on Sunday 6 July onboard a specially chartered private train from London and Milton Keynes to Manchester. This will provide an early networking opportunity for delegates from both locations, while cutting the carbon emissions that would be produced by individual journeys. The train will be returning on 8 July, when the conference closes.

Kicking off with a barbecue dinner on the Sunday evening, the conference proper opens the following day, 7 July, with a keynote address by Roger Martin-Fagg, an expert in macroeconomics, strategy and business acumen. He will comment on whether the UK economy is moving towards a soft landing, a recession or a full-blown depression, enabling delegates to understand its likely impact on their business.

The next session will reveal how the live medium is gaining currency in consumer marketing and the morning will conclude with a panel discussion of the industry's response to the first two sessions.

Among the afternoon activities will be workshop sessions dedicated to educating Eventia’s partner members on the latest trends in clients business and how this in turn might impact their companies, while for the agency buyers, there will be sessions on translating business objectives into effective event content and format. There will also be updates on the latest in technology and legislation that affect agency business.

Day Two opens with a Great Rate Debate, where the industry will discuss the issues affecting charge-out rates and management fees and look at some potential models for moving forward in this contentious area.

Other workshops during the day will cover a range of hot topics ranging from better evaluation and the latest thinking in corporate social responsibility, to keeping delegates safe at events and managing risk.

Throughout the two days, the sessions will be glued together seamlessly with networking opportunities and tempting samples of what Manchester has to offer events organisers and meetings planners.

"I'm really excited about this year's event,” said Eventia's executive director, Izania Downie. “Last year we built on the success of the first year and took the whole programme up a level, producing a very professional conference. Once again, this year, we have pushed the boundaries further and I believe the topics we are presenting will engage each diverse sector of the audience and take the pulse of our industry. We are living in interesting times and our speakers – together with our audience – will identify the trends that will shape the way we do business in the medium and longer term."

The further details about the Summer Eventia, visit www.eventia.org.uk