Campus to Conference: Transforming University Spaces
The highs and lows of hosting conferences in UK universities
Universities have all the ingredients to host successful conferences, from the unique infrastructure to accommodate large groups of attendees, to a wide variety of interesting, inspiring spaces. Although for around a third of the year, while most students are enjoying their summer break, those spaces are largely unused, representing a huge revenue and income opportunity. Across the sector, we experience varying approaches to generating revenue outside of the academic schedule, so we asked our experts, how can the potential of these spaces be maximised?
Varied Approaches to Conference Hosting
Across the higher education sector in the UK, universities approach their conferencing and commercial business in multiple ways, explains Rachael Lee, Membership Director of Academic Venue Solutions, a company that specialises in helping HE institutions to host such events effectively.
“There are such varying levels of how those assets are utilised...Some just want to do summer, so they fill those spaces with summer schools and language schools because they see those students as potential applicants. And then you've got the other end of it, where it’s millions and millions of pounds worth of income to the university and opportunity in terms of reputation.”
- Rachael Lee
Rachael explains that some universities may not even realise how appealing their campus could be, with a unique combination of lecture halls, meeting rooms, accommodation, and unusual, inspiring public spaces, in comparison with the blander, more corporate settings provided by hotels and other conference spaces.
Logistical Challenges in Conference Hosting
However, there can be logistical difficulties in getting a conference hosting model off the ground, says Jo Hardman, Director of Commercial Services at Lancaster University.
“One of the challenges is how quickly you can turn student rooms around into conference lets...We start our year a week or two later than most places, which means they get into the conference season a week or two earlier than us. There also used to be more conference work at Easter, when students used to move out. But now they don't.”
- Jo Hardman
Another major hurdle, he continues, is that “it's a different business model from the rest of the university”, which complicates “how you share that data and how you get access.”
He gives the example of an organisation enquiring about booking the Great Hall for a year in the future. Checking availability means speaking to the Room Booking team, he says, who can’t always be able to confirm whether the hall will be needed for other things, like exams, until closer to the date, and because student needs are the priority, it needs to be kept available.
“So we simply can’t always tell people what the availability is. It’s the challenge of how you manage those different priorities.”
- Jo Hardman
Success Stories from Different Universities
It’s a very different picture at the nearby University of Nottingham, explains Amanda Pettingill, Catering, Hospitality and Conferencing Director.
“The USP for Nottingham is that we've got the most amazing conference centre and two hotels that support that...It has been around for more than 25 years now, and it was purpose-built and is available all year round, 52 weeks of the year, 365 days of the year. We're privileged to have it.”
- Amanda Pettingill
The centre and its hotels function as a wholly owned subsidiary.
"So it sits separately from the rest of the university and that enables it to act commercially with partners and truly stands on its own two feet.”
- Amanda Pettingill
The benefits of this are myriad, she continues, particularly around eliminating the kinds of schedule conflicts that Hardman and his team have to navigate. All enquiries are triaged via a central team who directs them to the right area, she continues, with separate specialists that deal with the academic spaces, the conference centre, and the hotels. But even with dedicated teams and purpose-built spaces, she says the age-old desire is the same in making the most of the business.
“We would still like more space...Our occupancy is high and I think we've got a polished service to do that. But the more space we have, the more we could sell.”
- Amanda Pettingill
Key Takeaways for Effective Conference Hosting
Ultimately, Rachael concludes, whichever approach an institution decides to take when it comes to hosting conferences, it is critical to ensure that there is buy-in for the process, bringing “the right stakeholders on board with you” to avoid conflict and confusion.
“Some universities will insist that they know the topic of the conference and the speakers beforehand, one venue in particular won't even put an enquiry on the books until they know the actual content, because they're always thinking about the reputation of the university. We understand this at AVS and can help educate buyers in this respect.
“And it's also very important that we always remember that we aren't core business, but at the same time, we are very useful and can be very helpful in terms of surplus generation. It's not about creating new things, it’s about looking within and being better at sweating those assets that you've currently got.”
- Rachael Lee
It's clear that navigating the landscape of university conferences and events hosting presents both challenges and opportunities. As UK institutions explore how to optimise their facilities for events, understanding diverse approaches and overcoming logistical hurdles can unlock significant revenue and enhance reputations. Whether it’s transforming underutilised spaces during student breaks or leveraging purpose-built facilities, universities have a unique advantage in the conference market. Through interdepartmental ways of working, strong communication, and systems visibility, ensuring teams across the university can tap into the potential of these spaces, is the key.
To streamline and enhance your conference management, take inspiration from Homerton College's success with our solutions. By using Conferencing on Pulse and Customer Hub, they've simplified event space management and empowered self-serve bookings, allowing their team to focus on delivering exceptional experiences. Explore their success story to see how these tools can help you maximise the potential of your campus spaces.