Meet Cambridge, the venue-finding service for The University of Cambridge and Cambridge Colleges, has announced that the city will host the Human Robot Interaction 2020 conference (HRI2020).
The event will take place from 23-26 March at Fitzwilliam College, The Guildhall and The Corn Exchange and will welcome 650 delegates.
Professor Tony Belpaeme, professor of robotics at Ghent University and the University of Plymouth and the general chair of the organising committee, explains that Cambridge was chosen to host HRI2020 due to its global brand, transport links and appeal to international delegates.
Belpaeme, said: “The draw of Cambridge has already seen a 50% increase in the number of papers submitted compared to last year and we are anticipating attendance by more than 650 people from across the USA, Asia and Europe. This popularity enhances the conference’s pole position as the flagship event in its field, at which delegates can hear ground-breaking presentations, participate in interactive workshops and view poster exhibitions.”
Judith Sloane, deputy manager, Meet Cambridge, added: “We were first approached by Professor Belpaeme in 2017 with a request for venue-finding help and assistance with material for the bid process. Three site visits for members of the organising committee were arranged and, once the venues were selected, we helped to coordinate contracts and supplied local information on transport, attractions and relevant networks.
Sloane concluded: “This is a perfect example of how, as the official venue-finding service, Meet Cambridge was able to draw on its well-established network to provide the organisers with all the information they needed to win the bid and bring the event to Cambridge, which not only delivers economic benefits for the city but huge opportunities for new collaborations, new talent and knowledge exchange.”
