Two years ago no-one wanted to know…now SNP conference is the biggest show in town

TWICE as many exhibitors, lobbyists, trade unions and journalists are due to attend this year's SNP conference than came to the event the last time it was held in Perth two years ago, The Scotsman has learned.

The effect of being in government has turned the SNP conference from the largely social gathering of Nationalists that it used to be into a "must attend" event for anyone wanting to influence public policy in Scotland.

Coca Cola, the global drinks giant, will be at the conference for the first time, reflecting the increased interest in the SNP from worldwide corporations.

The Fire Brigades Union will also have an official presence in the exhibitors hall for the first time. Previously the union had only sent representatives to the conference as observers.

This is a reflection of the SNP's influence as the party of government as well as unease in some unions over the Labour Party.

Roddy Robertson, executive council member for the FBU in Scotland, said his union had stopped its affiliation with Labour in 2003 and was not now affiliated to any political party.

He said the union wanted to be at the conferences of all the political parties and was not biased in favour of or against any.

"We want to come to as many of these major political conferences as we can to lobby on behalf of our members in the fire service," he said.

There are also charities, like Psoriasis Scotland, and lobbying groups like the Scottish Countryside Alliance, who have paid to take exhibition space for the first time.

A spokesman for the National Landlords Association, which will be at the conference for the first time, said: "You have to be in it to win it. You have to be at these events to meet the people who make the decisions in Scotland."

There will be 64 exhibition stalls at the Perth Royal Concert Hall, up from 22 in 2006. There will be 240 exhibitors this year, an increase of 100 on the number there in 2006 and there will be 220 members of the media, up from the 100 who covered the conference two years ago.

There will also be twice as many observers this year – 150 – as the 75 who were at the same venue in 2006.

As far as the SNP delegates are concerned, their numbers are limited by the size of the hall. It is one of the biggest conference venues in Scotland and can hold 1,200 people seated or 1,600 standing.

There were 1,200 delegates at the conference in Perth in 2006 and there will be 200 more this year, taking the total to 1,400.

This is probably the maximum number the conference, which starts tomorrow, could take and, even then, there may be some who will not get into the hall for the First Minister's keynote speech on Sunday.

Angus Robertson, the SNP business convener, said: "It is fantastic to be returning to Perth, two years after the SNP set out our electoral ambitions for 2007 and many of the ideas that have now become popular policies of the SNP government."

And he added: "Interest in SNP conference from a wide range of media and organisations continues to grow as the performance of the SNP in government continues to win the support of people in Scotland.

"Increasing numbers of delegates, organisations and media reflect our increased membership and the continued public support for the SNP this year's annual conference in Perth is a major part of Scotland's political calendar."

Kilts, sandals and raffles out, smart suits in

ONLY a few years ago, the SNP conference attracted only diehard Nationalists.

There were always a number of delegates in kilts and beards – sometimes with sandals and Bannockburn T-shirts too – who appeared to have come down from the Highlands just for this one event.

There were few sponsors, hardly any observers or members of the press, and the exhibition hall resembled a school fête, with local parties raffling bottles of whisky, rather than a fully fledged party conference.

Now, though, all that has changed. There are many more young people there, dressed in the same sort of smart dark suits that used to be seen at Labour conferences in the late 1990s.

There are also international corporations and dozens of lobbyists, with organisations sending their most powerful figures to an event they ignored just a few years ago.

WHO'S WHO

Among the firms and organisations taking stands at the conference for the first time are:

• COCA-COLA: One of the world's most iconic brands, this global giant is the embodiment of corporate America.

• NATIONAL LANDLORDS ASSOCIATION: The national lobbying organisation for landlords, it recently opened an office in Scotland.

• FIRE BRIGADES UNION: This union used to be affiliated to Labour, but not any more. It is at conference to lobby for the conditions of its members.

• DIGITAL UK: It is leading the UK's switch to digital TV and provides independent advice for viewers.

• SCOTTISH COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE: The lobbying arm of rural interests, the SCA wants to ensure it has an input in the Scottish Government's rural policies.

• PSORIASIS SCOTLAND: Charity for psoriasis sufferers wants to influence policy.