When
you think of academic venues, the image conjured up is
most likely either a red-brick, traditional institution or a modern,
block-style building, both suited to hosting a wide range of academic
events and
conferences (low hanging fruit comes to mind).
But working with an academic space certainly has its challenges (as well
as rewards) when it comes to getting creative about using your space and
maximising the yield during a specific holiday-time window. After visiting the Academic Venue Show for
the first time recently, it struck me that standing out in the academic venue
crowd can seem like something of a challenge.
How do you go about attracting events other than those
obvious academic conferences? Can you
really appeal to a broader association or corporate market when you are
limited
with your availability and, most importantly, are there any compromises
regarding which events you can host due to any associated impact on the
university or institution’s core brand and reputation (they are usually
first
and foremost a learning centre of excellence rather than purpose-build
events
space after all)?
At UniSpace in Sunderland, we opted to take a more creative
approach to maximising the space on offer. Our car park, for example, has become an important revenue stream for us,
providing overflow car-parking for through partnership with the Stadium of
Light for example during concerts and events. Use of external space can provide an excellent extension to an academic
venue offer. Our campus square is versatile and recently hosted Sunderland’s Big Bike Ride, soon to be
followed by Sunderland’s first Military Tattoo to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond
Jubilee.
There can be limitations on academic venues restricted to holiday
time only availability. One option is to
look at academic events that support the university’s core positioning which
might enable the venue to host during term time, effectively extending the
calendar for bookings. Even student
accommodation can become part of the mix, offering a broader appeal for
residential events.
At UniSpace, we have five difference spaces to work with. Some of these can be used during term time
while others cannot. Our National Glass
Centre offers a unique event space while also providing a ready-made incentive
or teambuilding activity on-site. We
have worked with our internal teams to develop creative uses of the space, even
using the roof of the glass centre for a national Tai Chi event.
In difficult economic times, creative thinking on how to use
your event space is critical to maximising revenue opportunities. Academic venues don’t need to limit their
opportunities to term-time academic events, with a little imagination the
possibilities are endless?
Any comments? Email conferencenews@mashmedia.net
