The new Wildlife, Safari and Conservation Summit will be held on Friday 11 October at Harrogate Convention Centre, ahead of the weekend consumer show from 12-13 October.

Converge Exhibitions has partnered with Adventure Connection to create the new event which will include conference sessions, round-table discussions and networking opportunities.

Director Debbee Dale said the trade summit had been introduced following the success of the first Wildlife and Safari Show last year.

“A lot of exhibitors found it very beneficial to speak to each other,” she told TTG. “So we have launched the summit so they can meet potential partners without having to deal with customers at the same time.”

Dale added Converge was looking to attract both agents and operators to the summit for networking and discussions on key topics affecting the wildlife and safari sector.

“It will help those agents selling wildlife and safari holidays to talk about things with more knowledge,” she said.

During the morning, round-table discussions will explore topics such as animal welfare in tourism, travelling without plastic, expedition and small-ship cruising, and how to get the most out of educational trips. A marketplace with around 20 exhibitors will also take place during the morning.

Conference sessions in the afternoon, meanwhile, will look at subjects ranging from how to generate new business from wildlife documentaries to the issue of plastics and the oceans, as well as how to achieve a more “joined-up” marketing, PR and social media strategy.

Tickets for the summit are priced from £125pp and are available from wscsummit.com.