The aim of conference is to drive forward research and management agendas relating to World Heritage Sites in the face of global challenges such as development and climate change, all the while focusing on how World Heritage Site status affects local communities. Drawing upon recent developments in the field of heritage management, the conference will be of particular value to those administering sites locally but also to those setting policy at higher levels, with the goal of fostering dialogue between these groups and others involved in heritage research and management generally.