Insights

The Value of Conference Season in the Multi-Party Era

by Sally Rushton

As conference season draws to a close (bar those heading to Aberdeen for the SNP) and before memories fade into a haze of warm white wine - and even warmer meeting rooms - we’ve reflected on what worked, what didn’t, and where the value of conference really lies. Conference can eat up a big chunk of public affairs teams’ budgets, so it’s good to have an honest conversation about what you want to get out of the 2027 season.

Here are our top five takeaways from the overall conference season:

  1. Be focused and realistic about what you want to get out of conference. You are unlikely to board the train home having fundamentally changed government policy. No minister would (or should) commit to something new at conference. They are political events and ministers have to take any ideas back to Whitehall for a sense-check/to be torpedoed by officials. Instead, your goal is to raise the profile and reputation of your organisation, to build new relationships and revive old ones, and to start policy conversations you can continue back in Westminster. Picking up gossip and vibes is a bonus, but not a strong enough reason to go when you can read it in the morning round-ups.

  2. Spend your money wisely, and we don’t just mean avoiding the £22 gin and tonics in the Pullman bar at Labour. Good luck expensing those! Unless you’re a high-profile individual with in-demand expertise, conference is still generally pay-to-play and it’s expensive. If your goal is visibility, especially if you have clients or members to think about, then that business day ticket or panel event with an influential think tank or media organisation may be worth it for the photo op and LinkedIn content. A stand in the exhibition hall makes more sense for charities, who get a substantial discount and want to reach as many parliamentarians as possible, but makes less commercial sense to businesses if the decline in corporate stands is anything to go by (this was particularly the case in Liverpool). Sponsoring drinks receptions is very expensive and you’re essentially paying for someone else’s alcohol, though if you have a large team of expert networkers it’s possible to get some value out of it, though keep your sponsor’s speaking slot brief.

  3. Use it to churn through more meetings in 3 days than you’d do in 3 months in London. It is no exaggeration to say most of the political world decamps to conference. Where else do you get almost everyone you need to meet in one place at one time? And it’s not just parliamentarians…journalists, trade associations, lobbyists, think tanks, pollsters, charities and more are all there and, critically, it’s much easier to land a meeting at conference. People are generally up for a coffee or a swift pint with a friendly face. Conservative conference is especially good for this as most organisations still send representatives but it’s quieter than it used to be.

  4. Divide and conquer. In the era of multi-party politics, you can’t do every conference, or if you do you’ll end up exhausted, probably ill, and with a bulging in-tray waiting for you back at the office. Potentially parachute your CEO in for the critical moments and divide the rest among your team (preferably by party affiliation for the best networking). If you don’t have a large team, lean on your agency to develop a targeted programme and gather intelligence at the events you can’t make. Consider flying visits to the smaller parties’ Monday business days if you don’t have much time.

  5. Think beyond conference. That should be an easy ask of exhausted conference-goers who want to think of anything but. We’re not even mid-parliament, but an early election is possible despite the Prime Minister’s protestations, so parties are working on their manifestos. Burnham has already indicated that he will need to go to the country with several of his policies, so it’s likely to be a meaty manifesto compared to the high level, relatively uncontroversial 2024 version. The Tories are actively developing policy, including in partnership with think tanks like Onward. Reform have built up their policy team so they can work up ideas beyond immigration as they seek to demonstrate that they are ready for government. Green policy is in flux under Polanski’s leadership, with divisions between MPs and lay members, and the Lib Dems are constantly coming up with new ideas. Leverage those contacts you made at conference to feed in.