About 350 delegates will converge on Auckland from April 21-24 next year for the biennial conference of Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI), immediately following a two-day board meeting that will set the agenda for the next 12 months.

"It will be an exciting blend of networking opportunities and professional development workshops with some of the screen industries' finest and most influential from around the world," said summit patron Lucy Lawless, alias Xena in the cult television series. "The conference promises to be vigorous, focussed and a lot of fun."

Predicting audience tastes, pitching, indigenous voices, using technology, the social responsibilities of storytelling, financing and co-production will be among the topics covered.

Knowing that many delegates will be eager to see the tiny country that produced the spectacular trilogy Lord of the Rings and the audience favourite Whale Rider, local authorities will also use the opportunity to showcase New Zealand as a location.

Helen Clark, New Zealand's second female Prime Minister, will attend. Nine of the country's 23 ministers and 37 of the 120 members of Parliament are women.