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Academic Venues
Making the grade
Academic venues come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s time to explore them
he Academic Venues
sector is one with
much in its favour, yet
plagued by
stereotypes. To challenge the
misconception that it’s all
plastic chairs and trestle tables,
Conference News, together with
Kinetic Solutions and The Great
Hall, Queen Mary University of
London recently launched the
Academic Venue Awards.
The organiser behind the
Academic Venue Awards, Kirk
Thomas, says: “The level of
investment from academic
institutions into their events
offerings, including facilities,
technology and event
management, has driven
competition and resulted in
academic venues offering some of
the top event spaces in the
country.”
In there is the key: investment.
It would be bold to assume that
schools, colleges, and universities
just sit there in the hope that the
phone will ring with an enquiry
about their existing space. Rather,
many institutions are actively
investing in their facilities, through
“While
academic
venues
exist to
teach, it’s
not only
students
who
learn”
www.conference-news.co.uk
either refurbishment,
rebranding, and in some cases
even brand new custom-built
buildings.
While academic venues exist
primarily to teach, don’t think it
is only the students who are
there to learn. Some of the best
in class venues have dedicated
events spaces open all year
round.
Martin Fullard
Deputy editor
Conference News