LDC Conference 2025 – Represent your LDC
Thursday 5 – Friday 6 June 2025
Hilton Newcastle Gateshead
Dear Colleagues,
I hope you are keeping well, and I look forward to welcoming you to the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead on the 5 and 6th of June 2025.
With a change in Government, I am sure we were all hoping for a bit more progress in the direction of travel of dentistry than has materialised. However, it is important we keep working together and build on last year’s Conference theme of ‘What good NHS Dentistry looks like’.
Resilience…be it our own or that of the workforce has never been so important, and we will be exploring this at this year’s Conference to help address the stress and strains we face on a daily basis. We’ll be hearing from some excellent speakers from within the profession but will also have input from speakers from different fields to help make it an invaluable couple of days.
I particularly look forward to welcoming Sir Steve Redgrave as our after-dinner speaker on the Thursday evening and hope to see as many of you as possible.
'With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts' (Eleanor Roosevelt).
MOTIONS
The LDC Conference website provides lots of advice on composing motions and how to make an active contribution to this year’s conference. Don’t miss the opportunity to exercise your right to speak out!
We will be continuing with the format used in recent years for submitting motions with a narrative. The intention being to provide delegates with enough information to form a view and be prepared in advance if they wish to speak for or against on the day. As part of the submission process, you’ll need to state the objective to your motion. Is it to re-affirm existing policy, challenge/change current policy or is it a new idea/proposal.
Because motions are intended to give direction for GDPC policy please find here a list of existing GDPC polices. This outlines how GDPC has acted on motions carried at previous conferences and how much they have achieved on our behalf.
Motions should be submitted using the online form by Friday 4 April.
ELECTIONS
To help ensure a smooth running of the event nominations in advance for the positions outlined below are encouraged although attendees will also have the opportunity to nominate from the floor too.
Advance nominations can be submitted online up until Friday 4 April.
Elections (where necessary) will take place for the following positions:
- Chair elect of conference (to chair conference in 2027)
- Honorary treasurer
- Two honorary auditors
- One representative to GDPC
- One representative to the board of managers of the British Dental Guild
- One member of Agenda Committee.
Information about what each of the roles entails can be found on the website here.
DO YOU HAVE AN UNSUNG HERO?
If you have someone on your committee who you feel deserves recognition, please consider nominating them for an Unsung Hero Award. Further details can be found online here and the closing date for nominations is also Friday 4 April.
SPECIAL OBSERVER PLACES – for newcomers to conference
In addition to the normal allocation of conference places each LDC is once again permitted to register one ‘Special LDC Observer’ place this year.
This is an opportunity for newcomers to immerse themselves in dental politics and hopefully launch a career-long interest. These special observer places are reserved for those who are new to dental representation or first-time conference goers.
If an LDC has someone who meets this criterion, they can be registered online selecting ‘Special LDC Observer’ as delegate type.
The LDC Conference website provides lots more advice on how to contribute.
TIMINGS AND FORMAT
The event provides an opportunity to get reacquainted, welcome newcomers to the LDC community and at the dinner celebrate our Unsung Heroes. Conference will start a little earlier this year at 13:00 on the Thursday and conclude at 13:00 on the Friday (with lunch available either side) and the formal dinner in-between.
Please note this year’s event will be delivered in-person only. The costs involved to provide virtual access for a handful of attendees are too prohibitive. Attending in-person will ensure you can network with your counterparts from across the UK, debate and challenge, agree and disagree, and have the voice of the LDC you represent heard.
REGISTRATION, DINNER TICKETS, TRAVEL AND HOTELS
CONFERENCE
As usual the Conference is open to nominated LDC representatives and members of the BDA General Dental Practice Committee. Once LDCs have agreed who will attend to represent them delegates must register in advance for the event.
All conference places, hotel rooms and dinner tickets should be booked online by Friday 4 April.
Individual email addresses and GDC numbers are required at point of registration for all attendees.
How many people can my LDC send?
If you are unsure how many people your LDC can register for the Conference, you can check the list of permitted attendees for each LDC here.
Where an LDC is entitled to send a sole Representative, they are also permitted to send an accompanying Observer. The conference fees for this permitted Observer will be covered, however the LDC is responsible for funding dinner tickets, travel and accommodation expenses.
Plus, as highlighted earlier. in addition to the usual allocation of places we have some places reserved for Special LDC Observers – (this special ticket type must be approved by LDC Secretaries and is for those who are first time conference goers). If your LDC wishes to fund the attendance of other (extra) Observers please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for details.
DINNER
The black-tie dinner will take place on the Thursday evening, also at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. Dinner tickets are funded for those registering as LDC Representatives and are available for £85 per person for all other attendees. Additional tickets for guests can be booked online too.
Drinks reception from 19:15 with dinner served at 19:45.
HOTEL BOOKINGS
This year we will be using three hotels for accommodation.
The Copthorne Newcastle and INNSiDE by Meliá Newcastle hotels are located on the quayside, across the river from the HQ hotel (Hilton Newcastle Gateshead). Less than a 10 minute walk away.
Bookings are being managed by our appointed accommodation agent MICE Concierge. We have an allocation of bedrooms available at the hotel and you will be prompted to book accommodation online as part of the event registration process.
Accommodation will be assigned from our rooming blocks on a first-come-first-served basis.
Please note the release date for all un-allocated bedrooms is Friday 4 April so ensure you reserve your room before this date to guarantee availability and the discounted rates we have agreed with the hotels.
Further information about hotel booking is available here.
REGISTER TO ATTEND
CLICK BELOW TO BOOK YOUR CONFERENCE PLACE, DINNER TICKET AND HOTEL ROOM – closing date Friday 4 April
Register to attend
TRAVEL AND EXPENSE CLAIMING
Information about travel arrangements and expense claiming can be also found on the website.
FURTHER ASSISTANCE OR QUESTIONS
If you have a question regarding your motion submission or nomination please contact Alexandra Cenic This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If you require assistance regarding your registration and the logistical arrangements for the event please contact Fiona Feltham (Events Manager) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
GOLF COMPETITON
Finally, I’m planning a golf day too on the Wednesday before the event at Close House. For those looking to join this activity you’ll find details here.
I very much look forward to welcoming you all to Newcastle!
Best wishes
Charlie
Charlie Daniels - 2025 LDC Conference Chair
