Partnership working and the “Staycation” phenomenon will be on the agenda at the Suffolk Inside Out tourism conference next month.

The event, being held at Trinity Park, Ipswich, on Friday March 11, will feature a line-up of expert speakers alongside business growth and networking opportunities.

Suffolk Inside Out is being organised by five event and business management undergraduates from University Campus Suffolk, and is the latest in an annual series of tourism events to be staged by students on the BA (Hons) UCS course .

Among the speakers at the conference, part of English Tourism Week which runs from March 5 to 13, will be Martin Evans, managing partner of marketing consultancy The Tourism Business, who will discuss “How businesses can best work themselves, with others and with tourism authorities”.

Mr Evans said: “I’m really looking forward to speaking at the conference. Suffolk has a thriving tourism sector and many very professional hoteliers and other operators.

“This sort of event can provide a great impetus for the year ahead, as well as lots of practical pieces of advice for people at the sharp end of acquiring and looking after customers”.

Also confirmed as speakers are James Kennel, director of the Economic Development Resource Centre at the University of Greenwich, whose subject will be “Looking at the contribution that tourism can make to economic development and regeneration in Suffolk”, and Helen Oldfield, director and founder of Ipswich-based Affinity PR Ltd and a visiting fellow of UCS, who will discuss “Finding your ideal match: affinity partners in tourism”.

The students organising the event are beinig assisted by Laura Locke, senior lecturer and course leader at UCS, with support also being provided by Archant, Ipswich Borough Council, Trinity Park, White Sapce Design, Affinity PR and Ipswich Town & Waterfront.

Suffolk Inside Out will run from 8.30am until 1pm. Tickets cost £30, including refreshments and lunch, and are available online from the Conferences and Events page on http://onlineshop.ucs.ac.uk/ .

Details of exhibition space and sponsorship packages are also available via the website. For more information about Suffolk Inside Out, email suffolkinisdeout@ucs.ac.uk .