September is traditionally the start of the party conference season (at least for the Westminster based UK parties), so I thought now would be a good moment to take a closer look at how useful (or not) they can be as a tool to influence policy.
I’ve lost track of how many party conferences I’ve attended over the years, or how many third rate B&Bs I’ve had to stay in, or dried out conference sandwiches I’ve had to eat. But the big question for lots of organisations, especially those with limited resources, is whether party conferences are an effective tool for influencing policy and therefore worth the investment of time, energy and money.
As you may have guessed from the title for this post, I’m something of a party conference sceptic, but that’s not to say that they don’t have a place in the influencing toolbox.
They are all very different
The set-piece conferences of the UK political parties are all very different. Not just in terms of content, but also for the role they play in setting party policy. For Labour and the Liberal Democrats, for example, conference has a formal role to play in debating and voting on party policy. In contrast, for the Conservatives, conference plays a much more limited role in setting party policy. Understanding this is helpful when thinking about how best to approach conference season, and some of the tactics you might use.
Deciding which conferences to attend
Deciding which conferences to attend, and which to ignore, can be a tricky decision to make, and often comes down to whether your objectives are primarily short or longer term. If there is a specific issue that is live on the current policy agenda that is the focus of your work, then you might choose to engage only with the party conference of the party currently in government. If, on the other hand, you are seeking to build relationships on a cross-party basis for long-term objectives, then you might want to broaden your reach to other parties too. And don’t forget party conferences for nation-specific political parties too, especially if the issues that you’re most interested in are policy areas that are devolved to the Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland governments.
A networking opportunity
It goes without saying that the conference season is primarily a networking opportunity. But if you’re hoping that you’ll get opportunities to chat with ministers or shadow ministers in the bar after the main business has ended for the day, you’re likely to be a bit disappointed. In all the conferences I’ve attended over the years, that has only happened on a handful of occasions. But when it does, it can have quite an impact. Government ministers attending their party’s conference will be there without the officials who normally gatekeep access to them. Party conferences are overtly political events which the apolitical civil service cannot attend in their professional capacity.
A significant proportion of the people who attend party conferences aren’t party members, but are people like you who are trying to influence the policy agenda. And in my opinion this is where the true networking value of the party conference season is. It’s a great opportunity to make connections and to explore new collaborations with other organisations operating in the same field as you.
Ways to use a party conference to influence
There are a number of different ways that you might consider using a party conference as a way to influence the policy agenda. For most of us, the decision is likely to come down to the resources that we have available.
- Attend as a delegate – the cheapest way of using the conference season as a tool for influence is simply to attend as a (non-voting, obviously!) delegate. This means that you’ll be able to attend fringe events and other meetings taking place as part of the conference programme. Asking well placed questions in fringe events, for example, can be a surprisingly effective way of giving your issues a voice.
- Host a fringe event – fringe events are a key feature of any party conference. They are an opportunity for delegates and others to explore specific issues away from the main conference floor and outside of the main conference business. Traditionally, lots of charities either host or participate in fringe events as a reasonably cost-effective way of giving their issues some profile. The risk with any fringe event is whether you’re going to get ‘real’ conference delegates attending and participating, and whether some of the targets of your influence might agree to take part and therefore be exposed to the issue that you’re trying to highlight. There is always a danger that you get low numbers of people attending, and that those that do are just people like you trying to have a voice at the event! Promoting your fringe event effectively is key.
- Have an exhibition stand – having a stand in the conference exhibition is probably the priciest way to approach a party conference. It can cost thousands of pounds to book an exhibition space, and even more to come up with an interesting and engaging stand (you don’t want to spend all that money and have a pop up stand with a trestle table with some leaflets on it!). Having said that, conference stands can be a really great way to engage with delegates, and provide a platform for photo opportunities with ministers and shadow ministers who very often want to be seen to be engaging with exhibitors. A good conference stand is fun and engaging, has a clear message, and an ask of delegates. For small organisations, and for many charities, you need to weigh up both the cost, and the ethics, of such a big outlay.
- Host a private event – Cheaper than having a conference stand, hosting a private event can be an effective way to get some serious face-to-face time with the key people that you’re trying to reach. You could think about organising a private dinner for a hand-picked list of attendees, for example. If you take this approach, you’ll need to decide whether to host that private event inside (expensive) or outside (cheaper) the conference secure zone. If you opt for inside the secure zone, you’ll find it easier to get people to come along. They may, however, be more reluctant to attend an event outside of the secure zone.
Are they worth it?
The question of whether attending party conferences is worth it is a difficult one to answer. For many of us, it will come down to the resources that we have available, and the cost/benefit assessment of whether we could achieve greater impact through other means.
On the plusses, party conferences are a great networking opportunity and a chance to build relationships that you might not otherwise have developed. If your budget allows, there are some fantastic ways to raise the profile of issues you’re interested in.
On the minuses, they can be very expensive, and in my experience, the direct impact that you get from them (in the short term at least) can be limited. Beyond the direct costs involved, there is the time and energy required to maximise your influence. I still have the emotional scars from three weeks of every autumn travelling around the country from conference to conference – time that could have been used in different ways.
Personally, I think that there are better and more effective ways to get your message across in a more targeted way.
If you do decide to use the party conference circuit as an influencing tool, I have two final pieces of advice. Firstly, book your accommodation early – things book up fast, and you could find yourself with limited options (I remember once being ushered in to an eight-bedded outhouse of a B&B in Bournemouth which was used primarily for stag and hen dos. While it was interesting to have a choice of eight beds, every single one of them was broken in some way!). And secondly, eat well – you won’t do yourself any favours if you try to survive on the catering provided at fringe events. Get yourself some fruit and veg!
What has your experience been of the UK party conference circuit? Has it been helpful to you in achieving your influencing goals? Let me know in the comments below.
Coming up next time: I’ll be discussing how to decide which consultation processes you should respond to, which you can ignore, and how to maximise your impact.
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