The University of Leeds’ Conferences and Events has been recognised at the Meetings Industry Association awards (miaList 2023).  Scooping the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award at the ceremony last Friday, additionally the team were also nominated in two other categories.  The award is voted for by industry peers and the team saw off competition from Hilton, Inntel, The Teachers Union and REACH.  

 

Sam Glenister-Batey – Head of Conferences and Events at the University of Leeds said: “I am so proud that the team’s efforts in promoting accessibility and inclusion at conferences and events have been recognised.  

“We consider ourselves passionate rather than experts in this area and thus remain dedicated to further developing our DEI practices to help make Leeds one of the most accessible, diverse and inclusive event locations.” 

Promoting diversity and inclusivity in the events sector 

Beyond enhancing the delegate experience at their own events, the team has taken steps to drive DEI initiatives across the industry. Their long-standing partnership with Communication Matters, who support people who find it hard to communicate because they have little or no clear speech and Conferences Leeds has positioned them as advocates for enhanced access initiatives throughout the sector. 

The team adopts a comprehensive approach to customising event experiences, ensuring they align with various communication aids and cater to dietary requirements. This includes providing secluded breakout areas for privacy and the implementation of Communication Access UK training for staff engaging with delegates. 

The positive outcomes of these initiatives include heightened awareness of DEI practices within Leeds and the industry.  Head of Conferences and Events Sam Glenister-Batey was invited to present at the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) UK and Ireland conference. 

 

Helen Whittle – Chair of the Board of Trustees, Communication Matters said:  

“In all our time hosting the annual International AAC Conference at the University of Leeds, we have been blown away by the team’s friendly and collaborative approach. It’s clear they take accessibility seriously, always working flexibly and with a can-do attitude to satisfy all our needs as an organiser but more importantly, those of our delegates.   

“Their commitment to improving the delegate experience by becoming a Communication Accessible venue, instilled confidence in our attendees that all of their needs will be met. This faith in the venue really helped maximise registrations for our conference. 

“The University of Leeds Conferences and Events team works like an extension of our own, which helps us to put the delegate experience at the heart of what we do. They have also provided further support by introducing us to key industry partners, which has helped increase awareness of the Communication Access UK initiative. This has proven very beneficial to us, resulting in an increased rollout of the training across hotels and organisations in Leeds.  

“I look forward to hosting future Communication Matters events at the University.” 

Nominated in three categories 

In addition to winning the DEI award, Jacob Seddon, Conferences and Events Assistant in the team, was recognised in the Star of the Future category. A category that recognises new talent in the business and meeting sector. Sam Glenister-Batey was shortlisted for mialist Individuals for his work launching Cloth Hall Court, the University of Leeds city centre conference venue. Looking ahead, the University remains steadfast in its commitment to DEI practices, aligning  with the university’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy. They actively engage in user focus groups to ensure ongoing accessibility and inclusivity. 

Get in touch today 

Ready to plan your next event with us? Contact our team to discuss your needs, explore our inclusive facilities. 

The University of Leeds Conferences and Events team has been shortlisted in three categories at the prestigious Meetings Industry Association (miaList) Awards 2023, and one is decided by public voting.

The team are in a shortlist of five in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Leading Positive Change category which recognises outstanding effort in these areas within the UK business meetings and events industry. You can vote for the team here.

Sam Glenister-Batey, Head of Conferences & Events said:

“This year we have promoted Communication Access training which has seen significant success over past 12 months with speaking opportunities at the annual ICCA Conference mia Connect Event. Rolling out the training with city partners ensuring delegates feel comfortable and welcomed as soon as they enter the city”.

“We take immense pride in contributing to positive changes within our organisation and the wider industry.”

Further nominations

Sam himself has been nominated in the miaList Individuals Award category, a recognition of his significant contribution to the industry as a whole as well as to the University.

Jacob Seddon, Conferences and Events Assistant, is nominated in the Rising Star Award. Despite being at the University for less than a year, he has made a significant contribution, supporting on events for over 400 people and taking on all enquiries for University House.

Winners are announced on 6 October.

The awards are highly prestigious and celebrate outstanding individuals and organisations in the UK business meetings and events sphere.

 

 

Back in January, we welcomed Kerry Schofield to the team as our new Conferences and Events Operations Manager. Within a few short months, she took the lead in delivering one of our biggest events of the year – Digital Universities UK for Times Higher Education (THE). Here Kerry shares the inside scoop on how she hit the ground running in her new role by managing such a high-profile event!

Can you tell us a little about the event?

The Digital Universities UK conference took place from 17^th – 20^th April 2023 and kicked-off with a reception in our Parkinson Court on the opening night. Bringing together higher education, industry and policy leaders, the conference explored the latest challenges and opportunities of digital-first higher education and presented cutting-edge ideas that will reshape its future.

Over the three days, delegates attended keynotes, interactive panels, live demonstrations, intimate discussions, practical workshops and networking.

Which event spaces were used?

The main plenaries and breakout sessions took place concurrently across six rooms in our brand-new Esther Simpson Building.  This worked so well as there was a range of different content for each of the sessions. THE said that it was their biggest event yet in terms of simultaneous presentations and breadth of content, which was all based on the digitisation of the higher education experience.

There were PowerPoints, videos, live demonstrations of emerging digital technologies and VR experiences, among other forms of content being shared. On the last day, there was even a showcase of a digital escape room that one of our own University of Leeds professors had devised for his students during lockdown!

Everything was designed to facilitate the demonstration and debate of the many different applications for digital technologies across the higher education sector. Being our newest venue on campus, which was designed with innovation and collaboration in mind, Esther Simpson was perfectly equipped to meet THE’s technologically-advanced needs.

For registration, hospitality, networking and the all-important exhibition, The Refectory was chosen due to its central location, access to kitchens and large open floor space.

What were some of the challenges in the planning stages?

Given the size of our campus, mapping out the delegate journey was hugely important. For this area of the event, we focused on embodying creativity whilst also having sustainability in mind. We were able to draw on in-house resources to manage this effectively. This included using our student ambassadors as guides (showcasing our students), as well as branding some of our reusable (and therefore more environmentally-friendly) signage blocks to line the whole route for easy way-finding.

In the run-up to the conference, the delegate registration numbers significantly increased. In the end we catered for 700 attendees! This meant that the floor-space and capacity in The Refectory needed to accommodate these high numbers. With this increase and as a result of moving away from a shell scheme solution, we worked closely with our approved suppliers Rounded Edge to create re-usable branded cloth backdrops on metal frames to separate the premium stands. AV & C Event Production, another of our local preferred suppliers provided draping to give The Refectory an exhibition hall aesthetic.

Was there anything else bespoke for the event?

The chefs from our in-house catering service – Great Food at Leeds designed bespoke menus as an upgrade to our day delegate offer. They consulted closely with the client to understand their requirements and theming based on events they’ve held in the past and then proposed the best options.

This included a selection of canapés for the opening night reception, as well as daily continental breakfast and hot lunch buffets, to facilitate the networking format.

What were some of the highlights for you, in running the Digital Universities UK conference as your first big event in your new role?

At the first site visit, THE told me this was their first ever major event in Leeds, as usually their events take place in London or another European capital city. So, the pressure was certainly on and I wanted to do both the University and city of Leeds proud!

I was inspired by the level of collaboration across the University’s many different departments to deliver an event of this nature. I personally haven’t worked anywhere before where so many different teams have pulled together like we do here and this made me feel extremely supported as the event manager.

In addition to the very full agenda over the three days, we also conducted a number of tours showcasing our wealth of digital experience venues on campus. These included HELIX – our brand-new creative digital facility, which features an extended reality (XR) classroom and the School of Dentistry, which has a virtual reality haptic simulator. This opened my eyes to how cutting-edge the University of Leeds is in the higher education space and made me feel very proud to work for such an innovative organisation.

What has the feedback been like?

It’s all been extremely positive. THE were delighted with how everything ran, as well as with all the comments they received about how digitally advanced the environment was, in keeping with their ethos.

We also received wonderful comments from the University of Leeds’ Vice Chancellor’s office, who were my internal clients.

So overall, I couldn’t be happier with the success of my first big event and I am excited for all the amazing events still to come in my now not so new role.

 

To find out more, arrange a site visit or discuss your specific requirements for your next event, contact University of Leeds Conferences and Events:

Telephone: 0113 343 6100

Email: conferences@leeds.ac.uk

 

Event Overview:

The annual Communication Matters International AAC Conference is the UK’s leading AAC event, bringing together AAC users, families, professionals, researchers and suppliers for a diverse programme.

Over 2.5 days, a series of plenaries, workshops, presentations, networking, entertainment and a suppliers’ exhibition, all takes place across a range of University of Leeds venues.

The 2022 conference was the 37th edition as well as the 11th year that the event has been held at the University of Leeds.

Brief and objective:

25 of the attendees were AAC users, requiring easy wheelchair access around the whole venue. Some of our guests have a range of complex disabilities and were attending with their Personal Assistants (PAs) or families, so we needed multiple spaces that could accommodate larger capacities.

Several of the keynote speakers and presenters are AAC users themselves, so it was essential that the venue could facilitate the use of a range of different communication aids and devices.

As a residential conference, we required on-site accessible accommodation, plus additional rooms for staff, PAs and support companions.

Our overriding objective is for every attendee to feel that their individual needs are both understood and catered for so that they get the most out the conference. Ultimately, we want their experience to be the same as for any other delegate attending an event of this nature. Given the broad scope of our accessibility criteria, this requires a collaborative approach to events management from the University’s Conferences and Events team.

How did you choose which spaces you wanted to use?

The key considerations were around accessibility, technical compatibility for our presenters’ different communication aids, and providing separate catering or changing areas for anyone who needed them. Some of our guests are fed by their PAs or a family member and find it a challenge to enjoy meals in a busy or noisy environment. So, to overcome this, we utilised the Baines Wing Café as a quiet breakout area.

The exhibition is an integral element of the programme as many suppliers use this as a platform to launch their latest products or services to the industry. Parkinson Court was ideal for this – there was ample space for catering, 18 stands, wheelchair access throughout the exhibition floor, networking and a quiet zone for AAC users.

In terms of accommodation for the 2022 conference, we occupied every accessible room available on the University of Leeds campus.

What were your catering requirements & did Great Food at Leeds provide anything bespoke for you?

Each day we served a buffet lunch in Parkinson Court so that guests could maximise the time exploring the exhibition. The catering team carefully considered which foods would prove challenging for AAC users to eat and avoided these, devising a menu that enabled all guests to enjoy the same dishes.

We also host other AAC events at the University of Leeds, including Study Days, Exhibitions, Board meetings, and our biennial AAC Awards ceremony. Thanks to the strength of the relationship that has developed with the catering team, our guests feel comfortable in making very specific individual requests, which are always accommodated. As an event organiser, I’m aware that few venues would deliver this level of customised service without a huge cost attached. So as a charity, we’re very grateful that Great Food at Leeds go above and beyond for us.

What were your AV requirements?

We had a range of content being presented, including videos, PowerPoint presentations, research papers and personal stories. Most of the rooms we used for the plenaries and workshops were sufficiently equipped for our needs. Anything additional was supplemented by the in-house AV team. We also worked with the in-house technicians to ensure that the different AAC aids could be used by our presenters and delegates as required.

This year was our first time hosting the main plenary in the Esther Simpson Building. We were delighted with how seamlessly everything ran and seeing the presentation on huge screens really heightened the delegate engagement with the content.

Testimonial:

“In all our time hosting the annual International AAC Conference at the University of Leeds, we have been blown away by the team’s friendly and collaborative approach. It’s clear they take accessibility seriously, always working flexibly and with a can-do attitude to satisfy all our needs as an organiser but more importantly, those of our delegates.  Their commitment to improving the delegate experience by becoming a Communication Accessible venue, instilled confidence in our attendees that all of their needs will be met. This faith in the venue really helped maximise registrations for our conference.

The University of Leeds Conferences and Events team works like an extension of our own, which helps us to put the delegate experience at the heart of what we do. They have also provided further support by introducing us to key industry partners, which has helped increase awareness of the Communication Access UK initiative. This has proven very beneficial to us, resulting in an increased rollout of the training across hotels and organisations in Leeds. I look forward to hosting future Communication Matters events at the University.”

Helen Whittle – Chair of the Board of Trustees, Communication Matters

MEETinLEEDS, the University’s conference service, has re-branded to University of Leeds Conferences and Events. This exciting change brings the service’s identity closer to the main University brand, allowing it to reap the benefits of the strong recognition that the University has as a world-class institution.

The new brand was first showcased at our Cloth Hall Court venue in the city centre on Monday 24 April, with the hosting of the Conference Hospitality Show (CHS) Leeds’ Welcome Reception. Following this, the team also exhibited at CHS Leeds on Tuesday 25 April. This helped to introduce the new brand to the wider conferences and events industry.

The service’s website, conferencesandevents.leeds.ac.uk, reflects the new re-branding and showcases the great range of venues we have at the University of Leeds. The team can now be reached via a new email inbox conferences@leeds.ac.uk or on 0113 343 6100 for any enquiries or questions.

Take a look at some highlights from the Conference Hospitality Show Leeds Welcome Reception

University of Leeds Conferences and Events controls the majority of out of term time availability of spaces across campus. This ensures that the University is able to host research-led academic conferences and events that are organised to the highest possible standard in line with our strategic commitments. The team also collaborate with local businesses to deliver on-campus events – helping us forge closer relationships with the wider city. Through this work Conferences and Events generate additional income for the University.

The team offers a one-stop solution for all event planning and delivery needs. Their expertise in sales and operational processes ensures that internal and external bookings are supported every step of the way. For internal customers, the competitive rates start from £165 for room hire and just £42.50 per person for day delegate packages. This includes the room, food and event management support. With capacities of up to 2,000 guests, the University’s facilities offer immense potential for events on every scale.

Sam Glenister-Batey – Head of Conferences and Events at the University of Leeds says: “We’ve re-branded as University of Leeds Conferences and Events as I believe that the University’s reputation as a world-leading organisation offers us a real point of difference to competitors in the conferences and events industry.

We were also thrilled to open another exciting addition to our extensive venue portfolio at Cloth Hall Court. Increasingly, planners are looking to source venues that deliver on sustainability and ethical responsibility. Cloth Hall Court – with its prime location, and venue hire revenue directly supporting one of the UK’s leading institutions for higher education, delivers on these objectives. We’re proud to be further contributing to Leeds’ world-class offering for conferences and events.”

Ann Allen, Director of Campus Innovation and Development, said: “This re-branding will allow the team to benefit from the University’s local, national and international renown. Alongside this, the recent opening of Cloth Hall Court represents a fantastic new commercial opportunity for the University. Launching a prestigious conference and events space that is available all year round in the heart of the city will be an important new source of revenue for us. Together, these innovations will help us in achieving both our aims as a Facilities Directorate and the wider University strategy.”