Attendance
Approximately 400 people are expected to attend the Open Forum. Around half the delegates have been identified by public ballot.
All media access to the event will be arranged in advance:
- Due to capacity constraints, certain media organisations will be approached directly later today to provide one journalist for accreditation to cover the event.
- In addition, a small number of media will attend to facilitate, for example as panel chairs (as detailed in the programme) or in a producer capacity.
Media should arrive at 08:30 at the West Wing Entrance of the Guildhall. Everybody is encouraged to remain for the whole event. But if necessary, media can come and go through this entrance during the changeovers between sessions.
Media should bring verifiable press credentials and photographic ID: these will need to be shown to Security. Attending media will be given their Bank of England press passes on arrival.
Format and access
The Open Forum will begin at 09:00 and conclude at 17:15. As shown on the programme, there will be two types of session on the day:
- Plenaries – where all attendees are in the Great Hall for speeches (which will not be followed by Q&A) or panel debates. There will be a reserved platform from which accredited media can observe the proceedings from a reserved seat.
- Break-outs – where attendees can choose between three simultaneous discussions in other rooms across the venue. Media will be able to move freely between these sessions, so long as there is capacity.
There will not be a dedicated media room: journalists will need to work from their seat in the Great Hall. Bags should not be left unattended in the Guildhall: the cloakroom will be available.
Broadcast and photography of the Forum proceedings
Every session on the day will be live webcast on www.boeopenforum.co.uk and on the official Bank of England YouTube channel. A selection of sessions will also be streamed on Twitter’s Periscope: @bankofengland
The BBC will provide, on a pooled basis, a satellite uplink of broadcast-quality live footage of the plenaries. Organisations who wish to broadcast this feed should contact press@bankofengland.co.uk in the first instance.
AFP, AP, Bloomberg, EPA, Getty, PA and Reuters will take pooled photography of the beginning and end of the plenaries and break-outs.
Interviews and other coverage outside the sessions
- Due to the expected high level of interest in the event, while all interview (broadcast or print) requests will be considered, only a limited number will be accepted. Interview requests for Bank of England spokespeople should be sent as usual to press@bankofengland.co.uk, no later than 6 November. Other participants on the day – such as speakers and panellists – should be approached directly or via their press offices (if applicable) in the usual way.
- Any plans to record pieces to camera from within designated areas at the event should be arranged through press@bankofengland.co.uk no later than 6 November.
- Requests to film from the outside of the Guildhall, or within the Art Gallery (the public area of the building), should be sent to the Guildhall directly (guildhall.events@cityoflondon.gov.uk)
Connectivity
Accredited media will be provided with access to the Guildhall’s wifi. This network will be subject to heavy demand and therefore should not be relied upon. Media should be prepared to use their own data networks.
Press release