The financial industry crisis and the volatility of the international markets will dominate the agenda when hundreds of the UK’s leading corporate treasurers meet in Edinburgh in April.

The Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) – the international body for finance professionals working in treasury, risk and corporate finance – will gather in the city for its annual conference this spring bringing up to 800 delegates at the sharp end of dealing with the impact of the fallout from the turmoil in the banking industry.

Announcing Edinburgh as the location for its 2008 conference to its members, ACT’s chief executive Richard Raeburn said: “There is no need for me to underline how much markets have changed over the past six months. These are unpredictable times and exactly why the primary focus for 2008 is Dealing with Change in a Volatile World.”

The three-day conference, which will run from 28-30 April at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) will be addressed by several leading industry figures, including: Mervyn Davies, chairman of Standard Chartered; Angela Knight, chief executive of the British Bankers’ Association; Martin Court, chief executive of Dyson; James Smith chairman of Shell UK; and James Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank.

The ACT conference, which is expected to inject just over £1.1 million into the local economy, is one of 15 new events won for the city with the assistance of the Edinburgh Convention Bureau.

In total, these events, which will take place between December this year and October 2010, will involve up to 6,375 delegates and will be worth an estimated £7.9 million to the economy.

Sue Stuart, chief executive of the Edinburgh Convention Bureau, commented: “Edinburgh is a major international finance centre which makes it an excellent location to host the ACT conference. We are delighted to work with them to ensure their members have a memorable experience during their stay that will persuade them to return to the city for a personal visit.”