These fall into two distinct groups... Evening Meetings of
County Associations... Or more formal Conferences of one, two, three
days, six days or a week or more.
Most Beekeeping Associations run Lectures and these will
usually be advertised by monthly newsletters produced by the
Association concerned. The cost is usually included in the yearly
subscription... (but if a charge is made it will usually be only a
nominal one).
The other group are usually advertised on "fliers" often an
A4 sheet folded into three panes. The charges are kept to a bare
minimum... a one day (4 lectures) meeting will be about £12 - £15. The
multiple day conventions are usually about £35 per day including bed
and breakfast. (1999 prices).
The most common format is registration on Friday evening
often with a lecture after the meal. The Saturday morning will have
two lecture slots with the afternoon usually giving a choice of
practical work or a coach trip. Saturday evening often takes the form
of a formal dinner. The Sunday morning gives the oportunity for two
more lectures and the event is wound up often with a question and
answer session with a finish time of 5:00 PM giving adequate time for
travel home.
I have been to a good many of these events over many
years... The quality of speakers and the standard of organisation is
usually very high. I mention a few here that I have been particularly
impressed by:-
Cambridgshire Beekeepers one day event... Usually late
March... Always a high standard & lunch is included.
Midland and South Western... Three days... moves about to
different locations each year.
Apimondia... Six days... every two years... a different
country each time.
FIBKA Summer School... Gormanston, Six days... I went for
the first time in July 2000, see my report...
Gormanston 2000 (A personal View)
Strongly recommended.
BIBBA... Organise various events... Usually in the
Yorkhire/Derbyshire area.
Stoneleigh Show & Convention... Late April... One Day, but
BIBBA AGM is usually on the following day on the same site. Lectures
and trade stands.
The National Honey Show... Three days, November Kensington
Town Hall London. Honey Show, Lecture stream and trade stands.
IINGRIDD One day, usually Stoneleigh... Specialist
Instrumental Insemination Lectures and demonstrations.
Written... August 2000
Revised... 28 January 2002
