Academic Archers Conference

[R4]

So who's going? Here's a repeat of mummytime's link.
Anybody got any thoughts/insights on hotels?

Me, I'm coming! There are conference deals at the Holiday Inn, I think it said on FB.

I'm not on FB. How do I get the conference deal - phone them up or is there a link?

I'm going.

It is the Holiday Inn express -check the FB group for discount codes
See you there - PM me your address for a MN badge to wear if you'd like one.

Oh, now I have a dilemma about being with different groups...

Is It like a Blue Peter badge?

There are OTHER groups?!
Badges may have an element of the blue peter about them as we have no official badges atm.

I was part of another Archers group long before I came to MN - in fact it was through that group that I ended up here.

I meant a proper Blue Peter badge, like the sort that gets you in free to London Zoo and places, rather than a safety pin stuck to the back of a hand-drawn logo with double-sided sellotape. I'm a bit surprised to hear there are no official badges. I'm beginning to question MNHQ's priorities.

(I've now got this image of MNHQ all sat round the table, furiously colouring in and cutting out and trying to find a responsible adult to test how secure the safety pins are.)

I probably need more sleep.

I'm going too. 👍

It's not something I'm comfortable doing as a rule so I've surprised myself.

Anyway, I've booked the Holiday Inn through the special conference deal. I'm not on FB either but I got the details via friend.

The relevant bit is

To help you, we have secured a preferential rate for Academic Archers conference delegates with the Holiday Inn Express Lincoln City Centre (http://www.expresslincoln.co.uk/) for the night of Friday 17th February 2017. This is very close to the conference venue, and 50 rooms are available at £70.00 per room, per night on a first-come-first-served basis. This rate includes breakfast, WiFi and VAT. Car parking, if required, is £5.00 per vehicle, per night, payable on arrival at reception. Lincoln is a lovely historic city and if you decided to make a weekend of it and stay Saturday night as well, there are also 20 rooms are available at a special rate of £95 per room per night for Saturday 18th February, also on a first-come-first-served basis.
To book at the special rate, call 0871 902 1617 (option 5) which will bring you straight through to the Holiday Inn Express Lincoln City Centre Team. When booking your room please let them know that you are booking as part of The Academic Archers Conference. Payment will be taken in full at the time of booking and is non-refundable once paid. This rate cannot be booked via the website, any third party or via the central reservations team. You can book at this rate up to and including the day of Monday 23rd January 2017.

I am also staying at the Holiday Inn Express, but didn't use the code as it was a bit cheaper to take out loyalty membership and use that offer for two nights.

Thanks for posting the hotel details, grumpendorf. I'm now booked in.

Was at an event today and realised I haven't sorted badges
What do we think?
"This is what a Mumsnetter looks like"
Or something a bit more subtle?

You want this.....

And a secret handshake.

Oooh. I've had an e-mail

"BBC Radio 4’s Feedback is attending the Academic Archers Conference. We are looking for Archers “experts” who would like to share their thoughts on air about the weekend’s events. Please email [email protected] in advance, marking your email “Archers Conference”. Please include a few brief details about your thoughts on The Archers in general and a telephone number."

I could quite merrily bend Feedback's ear about TA but I'm not doing it on air.

Oh go on R4!! Love Roger Bolton. Presumably it'll only be a short piece? You could get a few suggestions in (from us) 😁.

I'm going! I was even kicking around an idea for a presentation (applying forensic phonetic techniques used for speaker identification/differentiation to pairs of actors that everyone claims they can't tell apart) but life has got in the way so this year I'll be audience only.
I'll PM you about a badge Olivia!

It will be really good to meet all of you.

That would be a really interesting topic, puddock. I hope you can do it in the future. I haven't ordered a badge yet

Hello! I'm going too! And I'm very nervous. Can't afford the hotel though.

I'm also in a different hotel.

I was going to drive up... it is a stupid idea but the cheapest I have. In a hire car.

It depends where you're starting out from. I'm about 4 hours away, so not feasible to drive back home overnight.

I'm about 3 and a half hours away. Hey ho, I'm sure I've done more stupid things for equestrian reasons...

I'm going. I'm driving up with a friend who's giving one of the presentations. We're very excited!

If you're making badges, I vote for a biscuit. Secret sign only for the initiated.

Is anyone else going to the dinner on the Friday night?