This year’s Conservative Party conference is set to go virtual, with most of the event taking place online, it has been announced.
The announcement comes in the week that prime minister and Conservative leader Boris Johnson has promised the meetings and events sector a timetable for reopening.
The conference had been due to take place at ICC Birmingham on October 4-7. The event is worth an estimated £20 million to the city. The move online is significant as it gives a glimpse of the Conservatives’ view of the possibility of holding large conferences and events in the autumn.
A statement on the Conservatives' website said: “Following discussions with our partners we have decided that the Conservative Party will host a Virtual Conference and move most of our conference in October online.
“We are excited to be working with our partners and suppliers to produce the Virtual Conference and will provide further details shortly, with the full agenda going live in early September.
“The Virtual Conference will provide a fantastic opportunity for members to share ideas and hear from voices across the Party.
Organisers said that they would be in touch soon with exhibitors and people who have already purchased passes for the conference.
The statement ends on an optimistic note, saying: “We look forward to seeing you in person in 2021.”
In a letter to members, party co-chairs Amanda Milling and Ben Elliot, said: "Whilst we hope we will be able to host some aspects in the physical format, we would only do so if allowed by government guidelines and following the strictest safety guidelines."
Labour, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats have already announced that their conferences will be taking place online this year.
In a Downing Street press conference on Friday 3 July, prime minister Boris Johnson said that the Government will set out a timetable this week for getting events as “Covid-secure as possible”.
He also said that he understands people in the industry are anxious to know when measures can be eased and admitted that it had been an incredibly tough time for the sector.
Separately, last week transport minister Chris Heaton-Harris wrote to a constituent saying that the sector can reopen when the UK’s Covid Alert Level is downgraded to Level 2.
Covid Alert Level 2 is when Covid-19 is present in the UK but cases and transmissions are low. There are no or minimal social distancing measures and enhanced testing, tracing and screening. The UK is currently at Level 3, having downgraded from Level 4 on 19 June. There is currently no indication of when the UK will downgrade to a Level 2.
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
