• Home
• Membership
  • Membership main
  • Membership Benefits
    • Membership Benefits main
    • BMW and Mini
    • Bond Pearce
    • Britannia Rescue
    • Clavis Insurance
    • Co-operative Funeral Care
    • Land Rover and Jaguar
    • RAFA Credit Card
    • RAFA Wings Motorcycles
    • Wings Cars Direct
    • Wings Travel
  • RAFALOs
  • Online Membership Form
• Who We Are
  • Who We Are main
  • Key Information
  • RAFA CHQ
  • How To Find Us
  • Central Council
  • RAFATRAD
• News & Media
  • News & Media main
  • CHQ News
  • Job Vacancies
  • Press Releases
  • Talking Air Mail
  • Newsletter Archive
• Area Information
  • Area Information main
  • South East and Eastern Area
  • Wales, Midland and South Western Area
  • Northern Area
  • Scotland & Northern Ireland Area
  • Overseas Area
  • RAFA Clubs
• Events
  • Events main
  • Annual Conference 2008
  • Airshow Events
  • National Fundraising Events
• Welfare
  • Welfare main
  • Facilities & Support for Veterans
  • Virtual Tours of Care Homes
  • Our Work with Today's RAF
  • How We Can Help You
  • Homes Newsletters
  • RAF Families Federation
• Fundraising
  • Fundraising main
  • Cadet 9 Challenge
  • Balloon Race
    • Balloon Race main
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Wings Appeal
  • Brew for the Few
  • Grand Draw
  • Battle of Britain
  • eBay & RAFA
  • Spring Case Study - Lella Eden
  • Donations
• ATC
  • ATC main
  • Cadet 9 Challenge
  • Flying Scholarships
  • Top Flight Competition
• Legacies
  • Legacies main
  • Keeping Your Will up to Date
  • ½ Price Will Offer
  • Legacies Received
  • Remembrance Garden
• Links & Information
  • Links & Information main
  • Service Charities

Annual Conference Weekend, 16th - 18th May

The Annual Conference for 2008 is to take place on the weekend of Friday 16th to Sunday 18th May 2008 in Blackpool at the Winter Gardens

• Please see below for the Programme of Events for the weekend or click here to download the current schedule and information for the weekend.
• Please click here for the RAFALO Seminar timetable for Friday 16th May - Comencing 12.15.
• You may like to know that BIG Communications will be present at the Conference speaking to attendees about 'RAFA's Project Chrysalis', for more information, please click here

Annual Conference Weekend – Programme

Rendezvous Evening, Friday 16 May

A Rendezvous will take place commencing at 8pm in the Spanish Suite of the Winter Gardens, giving Delegates, Members and Guests the opportunity to meet old friends in an informal setting with background music provided. Tickets for the Rendezvous Evening, for which there will be a charge of £2.50, may be obtained from the Conference Organiser (details below).

Pre-Conference Refreshments, Saturday 17 May

Refreshments will be available from 9am until 9.40am in the Horseshoe/Pavilion, Winter Gardens. This will give the opportunity to Delegates, Members and guests to meet the Conference VIPs prior to the Opening Ceremony. Delegates, Members and guests should be seated in the main Conference hall by 9.40am in readiness for the Opening Ceremony at 10.00am.

Civic Dance, Saturday 17 May

The Civic Dance will take place in the Empress Ballroom, Winter Gardens, on Saturday evening, 17 May at 8pm and is hosted for Delegates and Visitors by The Worshipful The Mayor of Blackpool. Tickets for the Civic Dance, for which there will be no charge, may also be obtained from the Conference Organiser.

Parade and Service of Dedication, Sunday 18 May

A Parade and Service of Dedication will be held on Sunday morning, 18 May at the War Memorial. The Parade will form up in Middle Walk at 9am and it is hoped there will be a flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at 9.40am. After the Service free refreshments will be available the Horseshoe/Pavilion, Winter Gardens (if wet the Parade will be cancelled and the Service will be held in the Winter Gardens at 9.30am).

Sunday, 18 May, Conference resumes at 10 am

Sunday, 18 May, Conference Closing Ceremony, 12.30 pm

We are pleased to announce that The Band of the Royal Air Force College will be joining us and playing at various parts of the conference weekend. They will begin with an ensemble at the Rendezvous Evening on the Friday, the Opening Ceremony on the Saturday morning and the Dance Orchestra of the Band will perform at the Civic Evening with a "table top" marching display at 2130. The Band will also lead the Sunday morning Parade and play at the Closing Ceremony.

Accommodation & Additional Information

Accommodation can be booked in the following ways:

• By contacting the Blackpool Accommodation Service on 01253 478216 (fax 01253 478210)
• By booking on-line - please click here and enter the following event code reference: BCTRAFA2008

A circular bus service will be available from Conference hotels to the Winter Gardens throughout the weekend.

Please click here to access the Winter Gardens website.

For further details contact the Conference Organiser, Mrs Margaret Duff, RAFA Conference, PO Box 316, Leyland PR25 9AX – tel/fax 01772 600211 - or email us

As we draw closer to the event, more information will be uploaded to this page so please do come back regularly for more news about the event.

Click here to Donate