27th September, 2000 - PCG Conference Oct 28th

The PCG is holding its first annual conference, dinner and agm in Birmingham on Saturday, October 28, 2000. It is hoped that many members will attend and participate in the day's events. There will also be opportunities to put faces to the user-names and we will devote one session to allow members to present their own business ideas.

Management guru and television's business 'Troubleshooter' Sir John Harvey-Jones will present the keynote address in the afternoon and there will be an Opposition political speaker at the evening dinner.

This is a new venture for PCG and the success of the conference and agm will depend largely on whether the membership wants this to develop this 'real-life' event. A booking form is available on the conference website and we would be grateful if you could return it to us as soon as possible so we can gauge membership interest.

Programme: (subject to amendment)

10.15 Registration and Coffee (continues throughout morning)

10.45 AGM - Accounts and directors will give short reports on their areas of responsibility.

12.00 Chairman's Introduction

12.10 Plenary 1 - Living with IR35 (Panel) Expert panel including the judicial review solicitor Tony Askham from Bond Pearce; accountant Kevin Miller; PCG directors Neil Wilson and David Ramsden.

13.00 Lunch & Leads - Business development opportunities - there will be facilities for members to discuss any of their own business proposals with other members during the lunch break.

14.30 Plenary 2 - Business development (Andy White, founding Chairman of PCG).

15.10 Workshops - A, B or C

1. Law and the Internet (Mark Lomas, Bevan Ashford)
2. Linux & open source (Mark Baker, Red Hat)
3. Building A Working Party - The Aberdeen Experience. (Colin Mitchell/Yishu Nanda)

16.10 Coffee

16.30 Plenary 3 - Sir John Harvey Jones (ends 18.00)

(Bar open...)

19.30 Dinner (lounge suit preferred) and speaker

Venue: Birmingham Grand Moat House Hotel, Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2DA.
Telephone: 0121 607 9988. Fax: 0121 233 1465 Cost:

Cost for the conference only £75 + £13.12 VAT (£88.12)

Cost for dinner only (and additional dinner guests) £40 + £7 VAT (£47)

The total cost for the conference and dinner will be £115 + £20.12 VAT (£135.12)

There is no charge for members attending the AGM

Booking: Please complete the on-line booking form and return it to

PCG (Conference), Building 2, Shamrock Quay, Southampton SO14 5QL.

Cheques should be made payable to the Professional Contractors Group

Please write your user name on the back.

Accommodation: Delegates wishing to stay overnight will be responsible for their own accommodation. However, the PCG has negotiated a discounted delegate rate at the conference hotel of £44 for bed and breakfast (against a rack-rate of £120)

Queries: Any queries should be addressed to [email protected]

Susie Hughes (Head of Executive Services)