5
Academic Venues
Charting the change
Mandy Jennings, executive director, Venues of Excellence,
describes how academic venues have changed
cademic institutions
have been faced with
reduced funding and a
more competitive
approach to attain student numbers
that, in turn, has led university heads
to explore alternative funding for their
institutions. This, I believe, has driven
the rise in academic venues over
recent years, in both their quality and
standard of service offered to
conference and event planners.
The initial approach to offer
vacation-led conferencing has
enticed larger educational
institutions to create year-round
event facilities, which they can
market commercially while supplying
the University with qualitative space
for visitors and university-led
activities during term time.
On expectations
A few years ago, when clients would
visit an academic venue with a view
to hosting an event, they had a
preconception as to the standard
and quality, sometimes associated
with their times as a student. Once
on campus, they realise that
non-en-suite accommodation has
been replaced with en-suite, flats or
housing for students and the
facilities to host meetings offer the
latest technology and infrastructure
supported by expert teams within the
university - from AV technicians to
caterers, event teams to leisure
facilities.
On trends
There is a natural affiliation to some
markets such as international
Who
are they?
Venues of
Excellence is a
collection of
exceptional
venues delivering
excellence in
conferences,
training and
events.
Prospective
members from all
over the UK must
comply with
criteria.
www.conference-news.co.uk
language schools, associations,
charity, third sector and university
related activities. Many universities
can now offer both residential and
non-residential facilities in addition to
some venues realising their potential
to capture private celebrations.
What is significant is how academic
venues tap into their onsite source of
business, not just for the internal
term time activities, but to work with
key departments and academics to
bid and win key Association and
academic led conferences which
showcases their university as a
leader in the field. Within the Venues
of Excellence consortium, we have
academic venues that excel within
the sports arena alongside venues
who are leaders in medicine and
pharmaceuticals.