For those not able to get along to the Queen Elizabeth II conference center in London on 26 September to take part in the E-champion conference, all is not lost. They can log in to a webcast and see and hear how e-government is transforming public sector organisations, employment and social inclusion from an international perspective. The first annual conference and exhibition of the e-champions network which brought together councillors and senior council officers responsible for implementing local e-government was addressed by delegates from Italy, Portugal and Ireland.UKCouncil cameras covered the one-day event and made the proceedings available for all to view on the Internet 24 hours later. The conference can be viewed on the Improvement and Development Agency website http://www.idea.gov.uk/events/e-champions   UKCouncil is a leading provider of webcasting services to the public sector.

More than 30 local authorities use UKCouncil technology to webcast key meetings and other events live or from archive on the Internet and some 75 authorities are reviewing the possibility. It is anticipated that by the end of 2003 there will be widespread use of webcastings for important meetings and conferences.