BRISTOL Rugby's Corin Palmer will join businessmen from both rugby codes and hemispheres brainstorming at a two-day event at the Queen Elizabeth Conference centre in Westminster later this month.

The game itself will not be on the agenda with the sport's commercial side taking over at the Rugby Expo conference on November 17 and 18.

Bristol's general manager, Palmer, will be networking at the event and picking up ideas, new innovations and debating commercial best practice.

"This is something that is long overdue," said the former Richmond flanker.

"Rugby has been a professional sport for 13 years now. This is an opportunity for us as a business fraternity to meet and exchange ideas.

"To get the game's stakeholders and decision makers around a table is a good achievement. There is a long and distinguished list of delegates."

Issues to address feature rugby as a growing global business, stadium development, building a brand profile, as well as the club and its fans.

One area where Bristol have struggled in the past 18 months is attendances.

They have struggled again this term with poor gates and had just over 5,000 fans in the Memorial Stadium for their last home match with Saracens earlier this month.

Palmer insists attendances are down across the board at all 12 Premiership clubs with the fans feeling the affect of the credit crunch.

He added: "There's no doubt there has been some fantastic rugby this season. The product is good. It hasn't changed.

"But what is happening with the economy people are, quite clearly, being more cautious.

"However, we at Bristol have noticed in the last few home games the 'walk-ups' have been higher compared to previous seasons. They are up to unprecedented levels.

"We had 1,700 'walk-ups' for Sale and 1,000 came on the day of the Premiership game against Saracens. The largest previous 'walk-up' was 440.

"The spectators are looking at their situation and not committing themselves in advance. People are more cautious with their pound."

Palmer has other topics on his agenda as he looks to improve the business side of Bristol Rugby Club.

But, with people such as Wasps director of rugby Ian McGeechan, Harlequins chief executive Mark Evans, Leicester supremo Peter Wheeler among others leading seminars, Palmer is keeping his interests close to his chest.

He added: "I'm going with an open mind. I'm going up with a listening brief.

"There are a number of delegates I wish to listen to. We are talking about new input, new ideas.

"We are not talking about what other clubs are doing on the pitch. This is about commercial and business issues. We will talk about what you need to have a vibrant business.

"There's also the opportunity to rub shoulders with agents. We can talk about the way agents operate and player representation."