University of Leeds wins Outstanding Innovation in Conferences at AVS Awards
The University of Leeds has been recognised for sector-leading innovation in conferences after winning the Outstanding Innovation in Conferences award at last week’s Academic Venue Solutions (AVS) Awards.
The award celebrates the University’s pioneering approach to hosting the Scenarios Forum 2025, which was delivered in collaboration with the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures and partners across Catering Services, Residential Services, Sustainability Service and Communications.
Sam Glenister-Batey, Deputy Director of Commercial and Business Development, said:
“We’re absolutely delighted to receive this award. The Living Lab was a true team effort, bringing together colleagues from across the University to reimagine what a conference can be. This project showed that sustainability and exceptional delegate experience don’t have to be separate ambitions, they can strengthen each other. I’m incredibly proud of everyone involved, and we’re excited to build on this work as we shape the future of events at Leeds.”
A conference reimagined
Rather than simply delivering a major international event, the University set out to rethink the entire conference experience. Working together, the teams transformed the Scenarios Forum into a Sustainable Conference Living Lab – an ambitious, whole-event experiment exploring how sustainability can enhance, rather than restrict, the delegate journey.
Every element of the conference, from catering to travel to communication, was designed to encourage reflection, connection and meaningful engagement. Delegates were not just attending a sustainability conference; they were living it.
Seven key focus areas shaped the Living Lab model: accessibility, catering, residences, suppliers, travel, communication and legacy. Each was co-led by research staff and students and operational specialists to ensure that sustainability improvements went hand-in-hand with an exceptional delegate experience.
Innovation in action
Highlights of the Living Lab included:
- The University’s first fully vegetarian conference menu, developed with academic insight and delivered by Catering Services. Delegates praised the dishes as “brilliant” and “a highlight of the event”.
- On-campus accommodation at Storm Jameson Court, supporting a seamless, low-carbon stay in an Access Exceptional, Green Tourism Gold venue.
- A partnership with LNER, providing discounted rail travel to encourage lower-emission journeys.
- Inclusive, accessible participation, including hybrid attendance options and financial support for delegates from low- and middle-income countries.
- Innovative communications, such as “human signage” in place of printed materials and sustainability messages integrated throughout the conference app and session briefings.
Live feedback informed continuous improvements throughout the event, with surveys achieving response rates of up to 32%. The result was a conference that delegates described as “refreshing”, “inspiring” and “a model for others to follow”.
Meaningful results
The impact of the Living Lab was clear:
- 416 delegates (312 in person, 104 online) from more than 90 global institutions took part
- 82% agreed the event was more sustainable than other higher-education conferences
- 88% felt sustainability practices were communicated effectively
- Zero single-use plastics were used across all catering and service areas
- 100% vegetarian catering, using predominantly local and ethical suppliers
- Cross-departmental collaboration across six University services, strengthening long-term partnerships
The insights gathered during the Scenarios Forum are now informing University-wide improvements in accessibility, supplier engagement and sustainable travel.
Setting a new benchmark
The AVS judging panel praised the Living Lab for demonstrating how sustainability and delegate experience can be mutually reinforcing, not competing priorities. By bringing together academic research and operational expertise, the University of Leeds delivered a conference that didn’t just discuss climate futures – it embodied them.