Party Conferences are an essential part of the political calendar each year. This is even truer in an election year and for a new government, with the conferences offering a unique opportunity to bring together new MPs with the party faithful and with businesses that may not have engaged with the party before.
Senior Account Executive, Daisy Mann, provides an overview of what party conferences are like as a public affairs consultant attending conference for the first time. Daisy was one of the consultants PLMR Group funded to attend the 2024 Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, supporting our 18-event programme in the PLMR Policy Hub.
A view from inside
For a few days each year, party conferences offer a fantastic opportunity for consultants to operate at the heart of the party machine. They facilitate in-person access to politicians and their aides, as well as researchers, journalists and other influencers; this helps to build connections and relationships that would otherwise not be possible through a screen.
As a consultant, this is not only great exposure, but offers an interesting insight into the party, its key players, and the world of public affairs more broadly.
Understanding political parties
A key skill in public affairs is understanding the inner working and mechanics of each political party and party conferences are a great way to see this in action. This is especially true of the Labour and Liberal Democrat conferences where votes take place throughout the week on the conference floor.
Understanding the levers in the policy making process is crucial to delivering effective engagement for our clients. For example, this year’s votes at Labour Party Conference presented some challenges for Sir Keir Starmer’s government, demonstrating the internal politics and pressures that policymakers are under. Having a good awareness and understanding of the policy making role that unions, party members and social societies have, can assist in getting your policy asks across.
Enhancing your policy and sector knowledge
Each year, the party conferences host an enormous variety of fringe events on every topic imaginable. They are an effective way to keep up to date with the latest discussions and key commentators within a given area.
As either a generalist or a sector specialist, there is something for you, so ensure you have a dig through the fringe guide well in advance to see what events you need to be at and how they can inform your wider work.
Long days that fly by
From delivering a wide range of events in the PLMR Policy Hub to attending fringe events and networking receptions with key industry players – party conferences make for a whirlwind few days. Alongside this, it’s essential that consultants are on hand to support clients in attendance and provide timely and useful insights from the ground for those unable to join.
Before touching down in the conference centre, it is therefore important to understand what your role will be – and how this fits within the wider team. Whether your focus is on event operations, intelligence gathering, new business connections, or likely a mix between all three, it is essential to have an idea of what your day-to-day will look like – and, of course, prepare for this to change.
To maximise your time, it’s important to be prepared. I recommend planning your events schedule and any meetings in advance, finding time to hydrate and recharge for the next day, and bringing comfortable shoes!