When I was Chief Executive of EEDA, I was never sure whether my change of mood as summer moved into autumn was an onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or the expectation of attendance at Party conferences.
Whilst these events may be something of an unwelcome distraction for some delegates, they are good economic news for the cities which host them. For instance, the LibDems at Birmingham next week (17th September) are estimated to bring 8000 delegates, 1600 media and £10-£12m of visitor spend to the city. The Labour Party conference has been reputed to bring double the number of delegates and about £18m of spend; whilst the Conservatives may raise that figure to £20m.
