Conference 2023 FAQs - Women's Equality

Conference is the supreme governing body of the Party, where members come together to make history and shape our party by voting on policies and motions during Party Business.

It’s also an exciting feminist festival! It’s an opportunity for both members and supporters to come together and celebrate women’s equality. It’s a chance to engage with incredible talks from some of the top voices in feminism, take part in thought-provoking workshops and training on activism and influencing, and get to know your fellow feminists.

Where will conference be?

This year’s conference will be hybrid. That means you can either buy a ticket to attend conference in-person at our venue in Sheffield, or a ticket to attend conference online from wherever is best for you.

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding in-person conference at The Diamond - 32 Leavygreave, Rd Broomhall, Sheffield S3 7RD. Stay tuned for details on travel guidance and places to stay.

What is happening at conference?

Conference will be two jam packed days filled with incredible talks and panels, workshops and training, space to share ideas, comedy and spoken word, networking opportunities to meet others in our movement, and party business where we’ll hold debates and vote on motions on party policy and how we run our party.

Why are we having conference this year?

We usually have conference every other year, and we last had one in 2022. That means we need to have our conference by the end of next year. However, 2024 is shaping up to be one of our biggest election years to date! There’s a general election on the cards, and Police and Crime Commissioners, Metro Mayors and local councillors across England will all be up for election. It’s big and WE can’t prepare for any of that without your help at conference. So the Steering Committee decided we’d hold conference this year as part of our build up to next year’s elections.

Tickets

When do tickets go on sale

Ticket sales opened at 10am on Saturday 15th July. Get your ticket now >>

Which ticket should I buy?

In-person tickets should be purchased if you wish to join us in-person at conference in Sheffield.
Online tickets should be purchased if you are unable to join us in person over the weekend and would like to join remotely.

If you are a party member, please buy a MEMBER ACCESS ticket. If you are not a member, please buy a NON MEMBER ACCESS ticket.

If you have bought the wrong ticket, we’ll likely send you an email asking you to change your ticket with instructions about how to go do so. If you are unsure if your membership is active, please email [email protected] before you buy your ticket.

What if I buy the wrong ticket?

Firstly, don’t worry, this can be fixed! Get in touch with us as soon as possible by emailing [email protected] if you think you’ve got the wrong ticket.

If you purchase the wrong ticket for your membership, our team will be in touch with you as soon as possible to ask you to correct your ticket.

We’ll give you one month to correct your ticket by either purchasing the correct ticket or purchasing a membership. If we are unable to get in touch with you or you don’t correct your ticket, your ticket will be automatically refunded, with a £5 administrative fee. Eventbrite’s platform fee is nonrefundable.

If you buy an online ticket or in-person ticket and you meant to buy the other one, please contact us ASAP by emailing [email protected] and we will help you to change it.

What is your refund policy?

If a delegate has bought the wrong ticket, or their circumstances mean that they can’t attend anymore, delegates of the conference are able to request a refund via the Eventbrite platform, or by emailing [email protected]. All refunds for these reasons will be charged a £5 administration fee, to be taken out of the refund amount. The Eventbrite platform charge is nonrefundable. Refunds are available to request up until Friday 20th October. Any requests after that date will be denied.

What happens if I can’t come to conference in-person?

You can join us online! Please let us know, if you are no longer able to make it in person and we can help you transfer your ticket to an online ticket. This must be done by Friday 20th October to ensure that you will have online voting access.

Please contact [email protected] if you’d like to transfer your ticket to an online ticket or if you’d like to cancel your ticket.

What if I can only attend for one day?

Delegates are only able to purchase a full conference ticket and we do not have one-day tickets available for purchase.

Format and logistics

Are there any differences attending in-person and online?

We heard your feedback and this year's conference will be hybrid - meaning it will be accessible either online or in person. The timings and content of some sessions will vary between online and in-person, and some sessions will run online and in-person simultaneously. More details about the conference programme will be shared over the coming months.

Delegates attending in-person and online will be able to take part in party business, debates, voting, elections as well as getting opportunities to connect and talk to other delegates, take part in workshops and listen to panels.

How do I access the conference?

In-person: Conference 2023 will be held in Sheffield on the 4th and 5th of November. There will also be additional training available for a limited number of key activists and officers who want to take their activism to the next level on Friday 3rd November too. We will be releasing transport and accommodation guidance soon - so keep an eye out for those!

Online: The conference will be accessed via an online platform on 4th and 5th November. There will also be additional online training available on the 6th of November for online delegates who want to take their activism to the next level. The platform will have an interactive schedule and links for attendees to access individual sessions. Shortly before the conference you will be sent a link to access the platform. We will publish guidance about how to use the platform in the coming months.

What is happening on Friday night?

There will be a welcome event that is open to all conference delegates on Friday evening. More details to follow.

For those who can join us in person, during the day on Friday 3rd November, we will be holding a special training bootcamp - with limited spaces (online delegates will be able to access online versions of this training on Monday 6th November). This will be a session for any one who is interested in stepping up their activism and learning how to campaign with the party. Stay tuned for more information about how to book your space with your conference ticket.

Do I have to attend on Friday?

You don’t have to if you can’t but it would be brilliant to have you there. The welcome event on Friday evening will be open to all delegates and there will be a limited number of training places available for activists in the daytime on Friday.

I’m not great with technology - will I still be able to access the conference?

Yes - you can join us in person in Sheffield or online. The platform we use for online delegates will be as simple as possible for ease. If you buy an online ticket, shortly before the conference you will be sent a link to access the platform. We will publish guidance about how to use the platform in the coming months. Virtual stewards will be available throughout the weekend and the lead up to support you across all aspects of the conference.

How will conference be accessible?

We want to make sure our conference meets any accessibility needs you may require. When you purchase your ticket you will be prompted to let us know whether you have any accessibility needs - this will help us to ensure that we meet those needs over conference weekend.

Our venue is fully accessible with multiple accessible entrances and exits for wheelchair users and lifts to every floor. We will also have a quiet room for delegates who need to take some time for themselves over the weekend.

For our online conference delegates, all sessions will be captioned and there will be troubleshooting volunteers available should you need any assistance during sessions and party business.

If you require BSL, please let us know by emailing [email protected] or by filling out our access form when you purchase your ticket. Please be sure to let us know by 16th October 2023.

Is there any extra support for members to attend conference?

We have concessionary tickets available for members who cannot afford the full ticket price. If you require support in addition to that, we also have an access fund available for members to apply for their costs to be subsidised.

The fund is made up from donations made by Party members and we have a limited number of supported spaces available. The fund is intended to support:

- members on a low-income or

-members whose weekend might incur costs which would prevent them from attending (for example, employment of a carer).

We might ask for more information if needed, so please ensure your contact details are correct. Only members can apply for the concession ticket and access fund.

Party Business and Motions

What is Party Business

Conference is where you shape the future of your Party.

Conference is the supreme governing body of the party, and is responsible for policy-making and decision-making - and this is done at Party Business. This is where any changes or additions to the party’s constitution happen, and where we debate and vote on party policies. Motions are submitted to conference in advance, debated on the day and voted on by delegates.

We will soon publish guidance and the timeline for party business including deadlines for the submission of motions, amendments to motions and emergency motions - watch this space. Already got an idea for a motion? Don’t hesitate to get started drafting and researching your idea and reaching out to other members for their support.

How will voting work for hybrid conference?

Delegates attending in person and online will be able to participate live in party business including speaking in debates and voting on motions - although it will work a little differently to adapt to each. Voting will take place online for online delegates.

How do I submit a motion?

The Steering Committee will shortly publish guidance and a timeline for Party Business, including the deadline for submitting motions and the process to do so.

How do I participate in party business on the day?

We’ll be publishing guidance for everything you’ll need to know about participating in party business at conference, including how it will work on the day and what happens if you want to speak. The Conference Chair will also go over how proceedings will work at the start of each business session.

But the best way to take part is to get your ticket to conference, defy any nerves you might have, and submit a speaker card to speak in a debate!

How are the rules for party conference determined?

The way we must run party conference is set out in the constitution. Conference itself is governed by the Standing Orders which will be published in advance and then voted on at the start of the first business session.

What about the new Policy Representatives?

A motion was passed at conference 2022 to elect a new team of policy representatives to provide leadership on party policy. Members for the new team will be elected at 2023 conference. More details on how to run for one of the positions, and on how to vote in the election will be published in the coming months.

Do you like this page?

FAQs