It is well-known that if members are engaged with an association, it is likely that they will become a loyal customer.

This allows businesses to see long-term results with regards to membership and exposure. Driving this sort of engagement is something that is consistently a top priority for associations.

Regular events that are focused on mutual goals and discussions enable members to feel like part of a community. As well as networking, providing attendees with rich and insightful content will make the event a more engaging experience.

We are also advocates of the added value that an event space gives to an association event. The more memorable the environment, the more engaged your members will be on the day of, and after, your meeting or conference.

Here are just some of the ways we can support and drive engagement for academic associations events:

A well respected academic institution

Our connection with the University of Warwick offers many benefits. We are able to utilise the intellectual capital, relay academic insights to the industry and introduce customers to home-grown research. We can also seek inspiration from the academic learning environments situated across campus.

With this, and our regular commission of own industry research, our 73% retention rate is proof that our clients are getting the learning and networking experience they desire. With such outstanding educational facilities available at the University, delegates feel that there is a powerful dissemination of research and knowledge sharing, which gives that extra special touch to their time with us.

In the heart of the UK City of Culture 2021

The University supported the bid for Coventry to become the UK City of Culture 2021. They led on research and programming and provided the resources to support marketing, communications, fundraising and education aspects of the submission.

The City of Culture bid win is a huge achievement that will create many opportunities for us. We plan to support the 2021 activity by hosting cultural conferences as well as supporting destination and tourism aims. Even now, delegates can begin to enjoy the atmosphere generated by this great achievement, and we have already started planning and refining our creative approach to future events.

The win has created an incredible buzz in our local community and, if your association is hosting a residential event, attendees will also be able to head off campus to explore the city and enjoy a number of the planned activities.

Excellent accessibility and support

The accessibility of a conference held at Warwick Conferences is second to none, particularly with it being located at a well-known academic institution. Wherever delegates are travelling from, they will find that the venue is incredibly well connected by rail, motorway networks, and air, with Birmingham Airport just 10 miles away. The central location is often a factor that puts organisers at ease during the preparation of their event.

Our events team are also available to supply guidance throughout every step of your event, from the booking to the planning stages, to the final event. The operations team particularly bring a fantastic level of service, pre-empting any complications or the small hiccups that tend to come up during any event.

Encourage idea creation and knowledge sharing

Whilst the technological offering of a venue is important for knowledge sharing, we think that the event space should also cater to the ideas generation who look for creative prompts in their surroundings.

Our portfolio offers a range of facilities to suit the needs of different audiences, moving away from typical academic environments to professional, light, modern, flexible and sustainable spaces. For example, our Kitchen space allows visitors to brainstorm ideas over a cup of tea or snack from the fully stocked fridge. This informal and relaxed setting breaks down barriers and inspires learning.

What our customers say

Dr. Maksym Myronov, the academic host of the 10th International Conference on Silicon Epitaxy and Heterostructures conference held in 2017, commented:

It was really nice to host an event where I felt confident that I could offer the delegates a varied and dynamic approach to the conferencing environments. The venue allowed lunches in different environments and the exhibition area was so flexible and this was greatly appreciated by the delegates.

I saw a lot of hard work behind-the-scenes from the team to get these spaces turned around during the 5 day period. Asking delegates to dedicate 5 days of their schedules to one venue would scare most hosts, but the responsiveness, diversity and element of surprise that came with Warwick completely counteracted this.”

We have hosted a vast amount of association events in recent years, from smaller member meetings to larger international conferences. Ranging across the academic, voluntary and trade industries, we have had enquiries worth over £6 million this year. As a result, we have been developing and adapting our spaces and services in order to support organisations in their quest for increased member engagement.