The International Convention Centre (ICC) Birmingham has been chosen as the venue for the National Farmer's Union's (NFU) 2012 annual conference.

Staged on February 21 and 22, the event is expected to attract around 900 farmers to the ICC, and opens with a high profile speaker session, followed by a series of breakout sessions, an exhibition and gala dinner.

NFU Director of Policy Martin Haworth said: "The NFU's annual conference is one of the most important events in the agricultural industry's 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 wealth of experience that the ICC boasts in hosting events such as this, as well as its facilities and central location, made it stand out above the other venues we considered for the 2012 conference. We look forward to working with them as we approach next February's event."

As part of the conference, the NFU is providing the ICC's award winning banqueting team with all food ingredients - which have all been sourced from English and Welsh suppliers - to develop bespoke seasonal menus for the gala dinner and the other catering elements of the conference.

Lisa Cook, account manager at the ICC, said: "We're keen to give our clients as much input as possible to the planning stages of their events, whether that should involve the menu or technical requirements.

"The NFU is a great example of the of the high-profile national association events that we stage regularly at the ICC and we look forward to welcoming its team and members in February."