Conferencing Update, July 2021 - Facilities Directorate

The Conferencing team continue to work hard to support the asymptomatic test centre on campus as well as international student arrival. They also have exciting virtual conferences coming up over the summer and have been shortlisted for awards recognition.

Virtual conference activity continues

The Conferencing team are continuing to work really hard to deliver great virtual events for their clients. Coming up this summer there is:

International Medieval Congress

International Medieval Congress (IMC) 2021 is taking place online from 5-9 July. Despite the pandemic, the popularity of the congress continues and the team has welcomed 2,000 attendees. The academic programme stretches over 5 days with over 500 sessions scheduled in 26 parallel strands. Once again, the congress is also hosting a vibrant ‘fringe event programme’ offering a further 43 events including discussion groups, networking events, book launches, publisher Q&A sessions, workshops, virtual excursions and the ever popular IMC Disco!

The long-standing publishers bookfair is featuring as a virtual exhibition hall with over 30 international publishing houses taking part alongside a market where delegates can find craft and second-hand and antiquarian book sellers.

The IMC team has been working hard to translate the IMC experience to a virtual format and ensure delegates get the best possible value from their attendance. All sessions will be recorded and available to delegates on the platform until the end of August, as will a range of tools to help delegates to network and exchange ideas.

European Association of Financial Management

This event will be held online using the Pathable Virtual Conferencing platform. Along with hosting the conference sessions, Pathable also allows attendees to make use of a customisable agenda, browse speaker profiles, engage with other delegates and catch up on missed sessions “on-demand”. EFMA has attracted over 300 international delegates to discuss a variety of financial management topics. The conference team are working with the Leeds University Business School on delivering this virtual activity.

Association for Radiation Research Conference

This Association for Radiation Research Conference is planned to take place as a hybrid event subject to Government and University restrictions. The meeting will include sessions covering the whole spectrum of radiation research from basic physics and chemistry through to clinical studies. Registration is now open for the three day event. The conference team are working with Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre on delivering this event.

MEETinLEEDS wins award recognition

The MEETinLEEDS team have won the Culture of Collaboration Award at the Annual Sustainability Awards 2021 for their collaborative work with services and departments across the University. Over the past 12 months, MEETinLEEDS, the International Student Office, the Student Education Service and Great Food at Leeds have formed a truly collaborative partnership to support the university in meeting the needs of its international students, whilst also supporting the institution’s wider inclusivity strategy; the delivery of an intercultural student experience ensuring whole cohort integration, belonging and community-building.

The teams have had to re-evaluate their working processes and explore unknown territory, resulting in the formation of a fully collaborative, flexible approach. They were able to draw on each other’s expertise and resource and work towards a common goal, maintain clear communications, create an inclusive and diverse student community, whilst offering transparency and empathy to international students.

The team have instilled flexible approaches throughout each stage of lockdown, adapting to suit different needs of students, departments and Government restrictions; ensured services integrate with other teams, whilst gaining an understanding of other departments’ aims and processes and implemented virtual socials with Links to Leeds ambassadors to create an inclusive society and culture amongst the students.

Through this collaborative, flexible and forward-thinking approach, team members have ensured that international students are still able to experience the best of Leeds and the university within the existing restrictions.

Harriet Boatwright, Sales & Marketing Manager, MEETinLEEDS, said:

“Working in a truly collaborative way, traversing departmental and service boundaries we have ensured that the experience of our international students remains in sharp focus during some very challenging times for us all, globally. We feel privileged to have worked with our colleagues in Great Food at Leeds, the International Student Office and the Student Education Services. In supporting the community-building intention across our student body, we have built our own community with colleagues, something that we will continue well beyond the pandemic.”

Colleagues who worked on the International Arrivals Welcome team were also nominated for a Leeds Partnership Award, celebrating the exceptional work of students, postgraduate researchers, and staff at the University of Leeds.

Jenna Isherwood, Project Manager in the Global Community team said:

“Working in partnership with the International Student Office and International Office, MEETinLEEDS and Great Food at Leeds teams have played an absolutely critical role in ensuring the University warmly welcomes and supports students arriving from outside the UK in very challenging circumstances. They have organised airport pick-up and self-isolation food/essentials services continually from August 2020 including throughout the University closed periods and even Christmas Day! The services have been incredibly complex to organise but have been hugely appreciated by students.”