BiCon UK: A bold and lasting influence in the UK’s bi+ community

For over 40 years, BiCon has been a cornerstone of the UK’s bi+ community—a space where bisexual people and allies come together to connect, celebrate, and build a movement. More than just a conference, BiCon has grown into a lasting influence in the UK’s bi+ community, shaped by the people who attend it and the teams who organize it.

We spoke with Ian Watters, a long-time BiCon organizer, about its evolution, challenges, and what keeps it going strong after all these years.

From a single conference to a thriving annual event

BiCon’s story began in 1984, when the London Bisexual Group organized a weekend conference to discuss “the politics of bisexuality.” What was meant to result in a single manifesto instead sparked two, highlighting the diversity of thought and experience within the bi+ community. Over time, this gathering evolved into an annual event—a mix of political discussions, workshops, social activities, and celebration. By 1989, the name "BiCon" was adopted, and since 1992, it has run every single year, making it one of the longest-running LGBTQIA+ events in the UK.

BiCon has always prioritized accessibility and inclusivity. From the very beginning, it has had a majority of female-presenting attendees and has been explicitly trans-inclusive for over 30 years. While many mainstream LGBTQIa+ spaces have historically been sidelined bi+ people, BiCon has been a rare space where they are centered.

Building a sustainable future for BiCon

One of the biggest challenges BiCon faced was financial sustainability. In 1996, an underestimation of venue costs nearly put the event at risk. Learning from this, the 1997 team took a more strategic approach to budgeting, resulting in a surplus. Over the years, careful financial planning meant BiCon started building reserves—but these funds were informally held by individual teams, creating potential legal risks.

To secure BiCon’s future, BiCon Continuity was formed in 2011 as a limited liability company, later becoming a registered charity in 2014. This move protected BiCon’s assets and ensured its financial security, preventing any single year’s organizers from bearing personal financial liability. It also allowed BiCon to register its name as a trademark.

The challenges of keeping BiCon going

Running a community-led event year after year takes effort, and BiCon has faced its share of obstacles. The biggest challenge is finding people willing to organize it. Many attendees love the event, but stepping up to run it is another matter.

COVID-19 also disrupted attendance, and the first two in-person BiCons after the pandemic (2022 and 2023) ran at a loss. In response, BiCon 2024 adapted by switching to a non-residential format, making it easier and cheaper to run while still bringing the community together. The result? A financially sustainable event that proved BiCon’s resilience.

Advices from decades of bi+ organizing

With over 30 years of experience, Ian offers key lessons for any bi+ activist or organizer:

• Start simply. If you're doing an event, do a one-day one rather than anything longer, for example.
• Lots of things are a compromise. If you make the same compromises every time, you will be excluding some people from all of it.
• Help is out there, if you ask for it.
• Just because only one person wants to do something doesn't mean you have to let them.
• Don't do comedy at your events unless you are absolutely certain that the entire act.. no, just don't do comedy.
• Your group's / event's culture is the worst behaviour you will tolerate. Act accordingly.
• It's very easy to lose years' worth of good reputation in minutes.

Looking ahead

BiCon has survived challenges that have ended several LGBTQIA+ events, and its future remains bright. The focus now is on increasing attendance, attracting new organizers, and ensuring that BiCon remains a vital space for the bi+ community.

“Success means more than one team wanting to run BiCon next year and the year after that,” Ian says. And if history is any indicator, BiCon will continue evolving and thriving for years to come.

Want to know more about BiCon UK? 

Website: https://biconcontinuity.org.uk/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biconuk/ 

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