Disbelief at £25,000 price tag for Tories’ virtual stall

THE Conservative Party has been met with disbelief after it advertised prices of £25,000 for virtual stalls at this year’s online party conference, with businesses offered video conference visits from ministers and members.

This year’s Conservative Party Conference will take place over video conferencing software and in a virtual 3D exhibition hall to offset fears about the spread of coronavirus.

Organisations can pay £25,000 for an online “stall” or £40,000 for a “Zoom-style” virtual fringe event, which members can dial into online.

A virtual “policy roundtable” with a minister will reportedly cost £7,400.

Also advertised is “private live chat capability” and a “virtual business card fishbowl,” Politico reported.

The annual conference is usually one of the party’s main money-raising activities. But business leaders are sceptical of the fees being demanded for a conference that will not allow them to meet anyone in person.

“The party of business appears to have lost all idea of good business sense,” one prospective fringe event host told The Telegraph.

The conference usually attracts more than 10,000 people and is held in a hotel outside of London. Attendees can register as party members or supporters for £40 to attend. A Conservative spokesman defended the charges: “The Conservative Party is offering a range of packages for Virtual Conference and Spring Conference next year. It is commonplace for political parties to sell exhibition space at conferences.”