Can we confer?
Apparently I'm involved with a charm offensive, and yes I know that doesn't sound too likely. According to PR Week "the Conservative Party is trialling a local blogger charm offensive at its annual conference in Birmingham". Which means they emailed me and asked if I wanted to go.
I've never been to a party conference before, so I said yes. It does help that it's only a short bus ride away too.
It's an interesting idea really, one that's already got people talking, at the very least it's always nicer to be asked if you'd like to go to something than not. Unless it's a gathering of people who need to do something about their BO.
Once we (there are apparently ten local bloggers, I know who about 5/6 are I think) were asked then there was a complex system of security to get through to get the required ID. It was tougher than getting a passport -- not least because you needed your passport to fill in the forms. Then you had to get someone to vouch for you, which was hard because it meant explaining why you were going to the Tory conference -- which is as complex as explaining Twitter, without being able to get Boris Johnson to say hello over the interwebs to prove it's a communication tool.
The last time I had a passport photo taken I'd got long hair and a taché (grown specially for the occasion), where as my driving license photo was taken during a brief period where I was experimenting with black hair, so I'm surprised I got in. They were also wary of putting "shit" (as in Birmingham: It's Not...) on the ID -- so perhaps they don't really know who I am anyway, I doubt they'll be starting up torieswe'renotshit.co.uk at any time soon.
Apart from eavesdropping (er, well, in full view with two forms of identification and a counter signatory) on the workings of a political conference, it might be interesting to see if David Cameron is "Maggie masquerading as Morrissey" or something else (Disraeli as Dumpy's Rusty Nuts?). If it's easier to judge that in person or via the prism of the media is something else that I might find out.
It'll be the quickest way to get from Broad St to the Flapper this week anyway.
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I notice the benefits of hosting the Conservative Party Conference still haven't exactly lit up the city council website.
The only impact worth mentioning seems to be road closures and if you search for news the top story is still a Lib Dem conference last year.
While you're there Jon - can you check out the Manchester stand and fringe meeting. Might be interesting.
I'll be blogging from outside the security zone.
The Manchester stand was pretty, but without any content really.
Marketing Birmingham had some leaflets and pens.