This year more than 200 members of the Association of Film Commissioners International (Afci) are expected to descend on Santa Monica for the 22nd Afci Locations Trade Show 2007. The event runs from April 12-14 and is a key opportunity for the global community of film commissioners to promote their city or country's production incentives and swap information.

"The hot topic is of course incentives," says Afci president Robin James. "Governments around the world have acknowledged how significant film production can be for local economies and there will be several sessions at the show exploring what's on offer."

"The bulk of people attending will be from North America, and there'll be notable contingents from Europe, South-East Asia, Mexico, and South Africa" chief executive officer Bill Lindstrom points out.

Attendees, who mostly comprise film commissioners and staff as well as producers, will be able to top up their knowledge of which incentives are on offer around the world through general networking and five seminars.

The seminars will, among other things, look at global incentives, investigate new media challenges and explore how film commissions and production service companies can form effective partnerships to assist visiting productions.

This year, the Afci launches a worldwide educational programme encompassing five masterclasses at the trade show designed to throw light on how to market a film commission, how the job overlaps with economic development, and business and leadership advice.