It isn’t often that you get key thinkers in one place at just the right time, but that’s what’s happening in a couple of weeks (20 – 21st October) here in Birmingham.

Charles Leadbeater, the author of We Think, Richard Allan of Facebook, Professor Nigel Shadbolt of Data.gov.uk are just some of the remarkable people who are going to speak at Beyond 2010, an ambitious 2 days that will “show you how to deliver more for less with digital technologies”.

That we are hosting such people is one measure that Birmingham – and much of the rest of the West Midlands – really is ahead of other places when it comes to digital media and civic good. I’ll be talking about just that, sharing a platform  with Will Perrin, Karen Cheney and Robert Hardy to talk about the connection between digital technology and Big Society.

As Glyn Evans from Birmingham City Council puts it…

It is not the time to wait and see what happens -we need to be more proactive and make sure that we are leading the debate about how to realise the efficiencies and make the reforms to manage the cuts most effectively.

It may sound like I’m on commission.  I’m not, although you get a discount if you use this link.

I had some time at the Conservative Party Conference last week and learnt a great deal from the people I met. Whatever bit of the public sector you are from,  new ideas are where your future lies. Digital Birmingham has been planning this for a year: it just happens to be the right thing at the right time.