More than 200 people are set to travel to Bradford for The World Wool Conference next week.

The event, which has been set up by a variety of organisations including Bradford College, is taking place at the Hanover Hotel next Monday and Tuesday.

The conference will kick off on March 9 with a reception at City Hall which will be hosted by Bradford's Lord Mayor, Coun Richard Wightman.

Another organisation which has been involved in the event is Paradise Street-based textile equipment company Allertex Ltd.

Barry Whitaker, chairman of the firm and the Bradford College Textile Advisory Group, said: "I and some of my like-mind colleagues turned our attention to how we could a play in part in boosting the image of Bradford, both within and without the international textile community.

"Bradford for many years was the wool capital of the world, and it occurred to me that there would be particular appeal in organising an international conference for the wool industry in Bradford.

"While Bradford can no longer claim to be the world's wool capital, it still plays a highly important part in the international wool trade, and of course, whilst not of the magnitude of the past, Yorkshire boasts several key players in the processing of wool into high-quality products."

The event has been funded by regeneration agency Yorkshire Forward and Bradford Council.

Organisations involved in the conference include the Ilkley-based Woolmark Company, Wools of New Zealand, the Bradford-based Wool Record magazine, the International Textile Institute, and Marks & Spencers.

For further information on the event visit www.worldwoolconference.bilk.ac.uk