The meeting known as the Eriadu Conference, alternatively referred to as the Eriadu Trade conference, or even the Eriadu trade summit, represented a diplomatic effort. It was held on the planet of Eriadu in 33 BBY. The goal was to resolve the protracted power struggle between the Galactic Republic and the Trade Federation. This conference descended into chaos when the radical Nebula Front not only attempted to assassinate Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum of the Republic, but also succeeded in killing the entire directorate of the Trade Federation. These disastrous occurrences at the Conference led to the taxation of the Free Trade Zones, which then triggered the Naboo Crisis.
During its final centuries, the galaxy-spanning government called the Galactic Republic found itself in a power contest with the Trade Federation, a significant interstellar business group. The main issue was that the Federation established its own regulations within and around the so-called Free Trade Zones located in the Mid and Outer Rim areas. This gave special advantages to its business associates while forcing independent traders to comply with difficult requirements and pay high fees. Essentially, the zones that the Republic had designated as tax-free became free only for the Federation's affiliated companies.
The disagreement between the Republic and the Federation reached a critical point in the year 33 BBY, leading to the decision to hold a trade summit on Eriadu. By all accounts, the Eriadu Conference was a complete failure due to the actions of the Nebula Front, a radical political organization that opposed large corporate groups. The Front not only tried to assassinate Finis Valorum, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, but also successfully murdered the directors of the Trade Federation, including several Kuati executives from the Kuat Drive Yards corporation. The Neimoidian Nute Gunray was the only one to survive this event.
The Eriadu incident had significant consequences. The death of the Trade Federation's leadership created a power vacuum, which a group of ambitious Neimoidians quickly filled. With the support of a mysterious figure known as Darth Sidious, Lott Dod and Nute Gunray took over as the Federation's representative in the Galactic Senate and Viceroy of the Trade Federation, respectively, while also placing their allies in other important positions.
In the meantime, the attempted assassination of Chancellor Valorum temporarily increased his popularity, allowing him to pass a taxation proposal. Prop 31-814D was approved, imposing taxes on the previously Free Trade Zones in the hope of breaking the Federation's monopoly and funding the Republic's unstable budget.
Valorum's attempts to investigate the summit were blocked by the planet's Governor, Wilhuff Tarkin, who intentionally prevented the Chancellor from investigating in order to weaken Valorum's position. Tarkin's obstruction helped to incite and accelerate the Trade Federation's Invasion of Naboo, in which Darth Sidious—who, as Senator Sheev Palpatine, was an ally of Governor Tarkin—secretly orchestrated the conflict to overthrow Valorum and become Supreme Chancellor.
Following Sidious's advice, Viceroy Gunray responded with the blockade of the peaceful planet Naboo, which was already in a dispute with the Federation over the export of its plasma. Ultimately, the disaster at Eriadu led to what became known as the Naboo Crisis.
The Eriadu Conference was first referenced in the new Star Wars canon in the 2014 novel Tarkin, written by James Luceno. The event initially appeared in the 2001 Star Wars Legends novel Cloak of Deception, also by Luceno. The Star Wars Book incorrectly states that Wilhuff Tarkin and Sheev Palpatine met at the conference, with Palpatine convincing Tarkin to enter politics and Tarkin later becoming Eriadu's governor. However, according to Tarkin, they had met before, and Tarkin himself was not at the conference, as he was already governor of Eriadu at that time.