University of Leeds wins CUBO award for innovative Sustainable Conference
University of Leeds Conferences and Events has won the Creativity in Conferencing, Events and Hospitality award at the College & University Business Officers (CUBO) Awards for its Scenarios Forum 2025 Sustainable Conference Living Lab.
The award recognises the University’s innovative approach to delivering conferences that place sustainability at the heart of the delegate experience.
The Living Lab approach
Developed in partnership with the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures, Catering and Hospitality, Residential Services, Sustainability Service and Communications, the Living Lab transformed Scenarios Forum 2025 into an opportunity to test new ideas and demonstrate how sustainable practices can be embedded into every stage of conference delivery.
The event welcomed over 400 delegates from more than 90 global institutions. Feedback showed that 82% of delegates felt the conference was more sustainable than other higher education conferences they had attended. 88% said sustainability was communicated effectively throughout the event.
This latest recognition follows the team’s success at the AVS Awards, where the project won Outstanding Innovation in Conferences. This reinforces the University’s reputation for delivering innovative events that combine exceptional delegate experiences with meaningful sustainability outcomes.
Sam Glenister-Batey, Deputy Director of Commercial and Business Development, said:
“We’re delighted that the Scenarios Forum Living Lab has been recognised by CUBO. This project is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through collaboration across the University. By bringing together academic expertise and operational teams, we were able to test new approaches to sustainable event delivery that enhanced the delegate experience while creating valuable learning for future conferences.”
Setting new standards
The Living Lab continues to influence how the University of Leeds delivers conferences, with the insights gained helping to shape future events and supporting the University’s wider sustainability ambitions. Successful initiatives, including sustainable catering, reduced printed materials or enhanced delegate communications and accessibility enhancements, are being reviewed for integration into our standard event planning processes. We have also formed a working group to continue reviewing and identifying further opportunities to improve accessibility across our conferences.
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