This year's Cyclenation Conference will be held at the Birmingham & Midland Institute (9 Margaret Street, B3 3BS). 

The Eventbrite page for the conference is here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cyclenation-2018-campaigners-conference-tickets-52199066814

Cost: £10 (£5 for students, free entry for under-18s) - You can pay through EventBrite, or you can choose to pay on the day. There are concessionary tickets available - contact us for details.

This conference is child-friendly - We don't expect our meetings to be quiet and staid, and although the meetings might not hold childen's attention for very long, we'll provide some activities for them to do while you take part (the activities will be in the reception area as you come in - please give back pens etc. afterwards or we'll run out!). We don't plan to have a creche - feel free to take your children with you into the meetings. We'll provide a comfortable space for breast-feeding, and there'll be chairs at the back of the main hall for teenagers to lounge around. Feel free to dip in and out of the conference as you like to fit in with your child's needs.

We'll also want to hear your children's views on some of the things we're discussing - we'll say more on that in those sessions.

Details for transport, cycle parking and food at the end of this post.

Draft conference schedule:

10:00am - Registration & refreshments

10:30am - Welcome talk and panel discussion.

Our opening talk will be from Katherine Nield, an environmental lawyer at ClientEarth. They leverage the law to challenge the actions (and inactions) of governments and large companies which damage the environment and people, including a third win against the UK government on air pollution this year.

Panel discussion: Everyone is an advocate. #cycleadvocate

Facilitator - Catherine Watton.

11:20am - 11:30am - Introductions to the workshops

11:30am - 11:40am - Short break

Workshop sessions, with a lunch break from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. There will be several rooms for the workshops, some of the workshops are taking place twice:

Time	Dickens Room	John Peek Room	Room 14	Room16	Infrastructure Safari
11:40 - 12:30	Phil Jones - updating cycle design guidance	Donnachadh McCarthy - The role of direct action in cycle campaigning		N/A	Robert Latham - Bristol Road cycle track infrastructure safari
12:30 - 1:30	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
1:30 - 2:20	Jonathan Fingland - Manchester’s Beelines	Kevin Hickman - Inclusive Cycle Design Guidance	Chris Lowe - What common errors do we when talking to officers & councillors		Catherine Watton - Lessons from Waltham Forest for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods
2:30 - 3:20	Jonathan Fingland - Manchester’s Beelines	Duncan Dollimore -Positive ways to engage with the media	Chris Kenyon - Working with political parties: Lessons from Labour Cycles	N/A	(Potential 2nd infrastructure safari - Chris Lowe)
3:40 - 4:30	Catherine Watton - Lessons from Waltham Forest for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods	Dave Clasby - NCN’s next steps: engagement workshop	Melanie Carroll - Responding to highways consultations - where do we start?		Chris Kenyon - Harnessing business support for cycling

4:30pm - 4:40pm - Short break

4:40pm - 5:30pm - Final plenary talks & Closing remarks

National Funeral for the Unknown Cyclist: Donnachadh McCarthy, Stop Killing Cyclists

How do we campaign for funding for cycling?: Duncan Dollimore, Head of Advocacy and Campaigns, Cycling UK

5:30pm - Close

Chinwag time afterwards: The Wellington Inn, Newhall Street (B2 5SN). They do not serve food, but they are happy for you to bring your own food in. And they serve a very good range of beers.

 

Infrastructure Safari - Birmingham's cycle superhighway: A38 Birmingham city centre to Selly Oak route.

Time: 11:30am to 12:30pm (If there is enough demand, we will run a second one from 2:30pm to 3:30pm)

Led by: Robert Latham, Push Bikes (Second ride led by Chris Lowe, Push Bikes).

Spaces on the infrastructure safari will be limited, so please sign-up for the ride when you check into the conference. There are Brompton Hire bikes in Birmingham (details here). Unfortunately, Birmingham's cycle hire scheme has been delayed until the new year. We won't be providing bikes to borrow, so please arrange a bicycle beforehand.

Robert has written a guide to the route - you can download it at the end of this event page.

 

Getting to the venue:

The Birmingham and Midland Institute is located on Margaret Street (B3 3BS) in the centre of Birmingham. It is within 10 minutes walk of both Snow Hill Station (on Colmore Row) and New Street Station (on New Street).

Cycle parking:

The venue has space for folded bikes inside. Bring them up to the Dickens Room on the 1st floor (there is a lift).

Unfortunately, we don't have any space for other cycles inside the venue. There are sheffield stands dotted within a short walk from the venue: 4 sheffield stands on the corner of Edmund Street and Margaret Street; Two sets of 5 stands in the pedestrianised street (opposite Margaret Street) that runs between Edmund Street and Colmore Row; 4 sheffield stands on the corner of Newhall Street and Great Charles Street Queensway; Cycle stands (many, but of varying quality) in front of University College Birmingham, on Summer Row. We recommend using a good lock.

Car parking:

There is no car parking at the venue. The closest public car park is on Cambridge Street (B1 2NB), next to the City Centre Gardens. Be aware that the section of Paradise Circus Queensway is closed between Holliday Street and Cambridge Street, and the end of Cambridge Street next to the car park is currently a bus gate. There is also a car park on the corner of Ludgate Hill and Lionel Street (B3 1AT), and on Newhall Street (B3 1SW). Those are about 10 minutes walk away. Be aware that with the German Market on, car parks in Birmingham city centre on a Saturday might be busy. 

Food:

There will be tea & coffee & squash available through the day. We won't be providing lunch - there is a cafe in the venue, but there is another event on, so they will probably be busy. There are several locations close by to get food:

Subway - Corner of Newhall Street and Great Charles Street Queensway; Also on New Street

A variety of coffee shops - along Colmore Row and on New Street

The Shakespeare Inn (decent pub food) - on Summer Row, next to University College Birmingham

The German Market - in Victoria Square and along New Street (it might not be too busy yet....)

Greggs - on New Street, close to Victoria Square

Tesco supermarket - on the corner of New Street and Temple Street

Sainsburys and Waitrose and Tesco - outside Snow Hill Station, on Colmore Row