Side talks carried the conference's practical work

Lord Beaverbrook's side conversations addressed procurement and the coordination of industry. Such meetings could carry practical business that received little space in an official declaration. The rough estimate offered here is that published conference statements might tell only a quarter or a third of the story. Some smaller agreements remain quiet because governments prefer that, while others matter intensely to a few participants. Bilateral meetings therefore deserve attention alongside the better-known wartime summits.