Not another keynote… Phil Baty opens the conference by addressing the primary challenges facing Higher Education.

With budget pressures mounting and global challenges intensifying, strategic diversification has never been more critical for universities. This session explores shifting away from the “golden unicorn” market chase and adopting a balanced, data-driven approach. Learn to blend reliable, high-predictability markets with emerging high-potential ones and gain insights for smarter media planning. Featuring practical examples from the University of Edinburgh, this talk equips you to future-proof your recruitment strategy.

In a world where university rankings and glossy brochures paint a polished picture, the real voices of students often remain unheard. This session dives into the unfiltered sentiments and honest emotions shared by students on The Student Room, the UK’s largest online student community. Through advanced sentiment and emotion analysis, we’ll uncover the genuine experiences, hopes, and frustrations that students express – insights that challenge assumptions and reveal what truly matters to today’s students. 

It doesn’t matter where you get your data, university websites are the most trusted communication channel for students when making their study choices. However, you need to make sure your content is up to task if you truly want to win them over.

Increasingly, students are able to learn everything they need to know about your university before they even land on your website. What’s more, they can now get 100% personalised content directly in the search engine results page or even message their AI recruiter for advice on what their next step should be.

What are the unlikely ways students view your content? What are students’ demands when it comes to making informed study choices? How can our content meet their expectations

Join Kyle Campbell, founder of Education Marketer, for a glimpse into the future of university websites, and how to ensure yours leaves an impression.

Apply all the insight you’ve gained in day one to work on a collaborative project with the aim of promoting UK higher education to the global masses! Details will be revealed at the conference.

Universities are complex and hierarchical institutions. But we all have a job to do. So in an increasingly time poor environment, how can we get our ideas to land and make change happen NOW. It’s easy when you know how. What’s more, it’s scalable. In this session, we’ll dive into the theory, apply it in practice and equip you with a toolkit to bring out the best in your teams so you can communicate smarter and with greater impact.

The sector is experiencing extreme pressure. And those working in marketing and allied disciplines are at greater risk of burnout than other disciplines. Hayhurst & Co is on a mission to help people understand and identify burnout triggers and to take a more proactive and positive approach to mental health in the workplace. Join Hayhurst & Co’s experts in Psychological Safety and Organisational Well-being as they share some powerful tools that can prevent a burnout pandemic from spreading like wildfire through your university.

“An advertising agency is 85 percent confusion and 15 percent commission.” – Fred Allen. As the world of higher education adapts and changes, so does the world of advertising. Join Jo & Marcus as they challenge their business’s own existence. Is the current UK HE agency model working for your teams and theirs? What can AI bring, and how transparent will that make the market? How much can you bring in-house? What does the future look like for agencies, and how does that impact your world? This session tackles these questions in an open way, taking candid soundings from procurement professionals, digital experts and sector colleagues. It’s time for some fresh thinking.