Back in April I blogged about the lack of an independent intranet conference in the UK. Today I agreed to sponsor Intranet Now, styled as an un/conference for intranet and comms managers, which takes place at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Portman Square, London on 2 September. When I set up Intranet Focus Ltd in 1999 I made a conscious decision not to sponsor anything, so the very fact that I have changed my mind after 15 years of business should give you some idea of the importance I attach to the launch of this conference.

The concept was developed by Wedge Black and was almost immediately supported by Brian Lamb. They have acquired a stellar array of both sponsors and speakers and all they need now is a stellar number of delegates. The lunch sponsor is Interact Intranet, which is running its own event in October, so a special mention to Nigel and the team at Interact. Igloo are another lead sponsor. The agenda is a mix of 20 minute papers and 5 minute lightning papers together with some self-organised discussion sessions. Take a look at the agenda to get a full sense of what is on offer. It should be a memorable and stimulating day, and you should leave with a host of good ideas and a significantly larger network.

It is important to realise that Wedge and Brian are one-man businesses, so they have already made a very significant investment in the event. Now is the time for the intranet and internal comms communities to match it by turning up to the event. This  is an intranet conference developed by people who understand intranets, with speakers who have built and managed intranets and a programme full of case studies and lessons learned. What more can you ask for?

The early bird price is just £60 and that offer lasts until 25 July. After that the price is £120. You can book on Eventbrite and there is a Lanyrd page as well. Even if your organisation feels unable to find the ticket price think of it as just over £2 a week (£1 if you are quick!) self-investment in your career for a year. Unbeatable value. Please make the decision to book as quickly as you can and match the commitment of Wedge and Brian to the UK intranet community.

Martin White