Pre-conference season conference

If you thought the LibDem conference in Bournemouth was the first conference of the season, you'd be wrong - because there's another one taking place the day before they get there.

I know this because I've agreed to speak next week at the first conference of the UK Speechwriters’ Guild at the Arts University College, Bournemouth.

It's an exciting innovation for all of us, because presentation trainers and speechwriters tend to toil away in isolation and don't often get a chance to meet each other.

The theme is ‘Why is there no British Obama?’.

If I'd known what an impressive line-up it was going to be, I might have thought twice about accepting the invitation, but it's far too late to back out now.

The other speakers include Phil Collins, Tony Blair’s former speechwriter, as well as Dr Susan Jones, author of Speechmaking and the team from CreativityWorks in Brighton, who'll be showing their video on the Mehrabian Myth, a much more pithy and entertaining treatment of the subject than my various attempts at debunking it. Dr Johan Siebers who's pioneering a new university course in rhetoric will also be there.

Anyone who's going to be in Bournemouth for the LibDem conference would surely benefit from arriving a day early. And anyone involved in politics and business would find it difficult to get a day of expert insight at such a reasonable price anywhere else.

I understand from the organiser, Brian Jenner, that there are still some tickets available - and you don’t have to be a speechwriter to come along. Call him on 01202 551257.