Mary Curnock Cook sets the scene for us by taking a provocative look at the future of higher education. This one is not to be missed!

Join Stevie Morton and Jo Bishop from Springpod as they delve into the intricate decision-making process that young people are navigating in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, recent changes in grades, and increased exam anxiety. This session will include a data-informed and robust panel discussion with secondary school and sixth-form teachers, illuminating effective tactics for assisting students in overcoming these hurdles on their journey to higher education.

Two creative HE marketers present a “show and tell” on how they have pushed the creative boundaries. From implementing the creative process, to working with creative agencies and managing internal stakeholder expectations whilst focusing on the audience needs.  Karen and Raman will provide you with an honest insight into what worked and…what didn’t.

In a post-information world- how do we balance human input with AI output? And what does that have to do with HE marketing, anyway?

From Chess machines to coding co-pilots, this session, tempered with healthy doses of skepticism and fanaticism, explores the origins of AI, what’s happening now, and where we’re headed.

It is the year 2024. Our ‘world leading universities’ struggle to attract international Masters students because immigration charges now cost almost as much as the course. Meanwhile, fewer and fewer domestic students can afford PGT study because the government has left the postgraduate loan… alone… for almost ten years. Over in PGR land the constraints on UKRI studentships will probably make you cry. Oh, and there’s this thing called the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, which doesn’t seem to know postgraduate study exists. But fear not! This session will offer a bit of data-driven therapy, explaining where opportunities for Masters and PhD recruitment can still be found and suggesting some ways around the inexplicable obstacles placed in front of UK universities by their own government.

Replace the myths and generalisations about Gen Z and Gen Alpha with huge new insights from UCAS. Discover how pupils in Years 9 to 12 really view their future choices – with tips to refine your recruitment strategies and the channels you use – so you’ll be perfectly positioned to reach your future applicants.

Dive into the fascinating world of neurochemistry as we explore how oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins spark emotions in your audience. Understanding that people often base their decisions on feelings rather than rational thinking, we’ll reveal the power of well-crafted content through real-world examples that provoke emotions, from empathy to excitement. Combine all these elements into a single, immersive experience that fuses storytelling, visuals, and interaction to elevate your engagement strategies; connecting deeply with your audience to ensure that they ‘give a sh*t’ about your university.

Learn how Greenwich Peninsula quite literally put itself on the map by enticing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year through its cohesive programme of events and destination marketing.

We’re turning the idea of a student panel completely on its head in this live co-creation session! Based on the insight transferred in some of the earlier sessions, we’ll be giving you a challenge for which you will be required to work in groups to produce a one minute elevator pitch to be presented to our panel of Student Sharks. The Sharks will decide who wins, and who loses!

We’ll be providing refreshments and group mentors during this session to help get your creative juices flowing!

Relationships are key to personal success. Cultivated well, effective relationships will help your ideas flourish, projects thrive and get you to where you want to be faster. But universities are complex and hierarchical institutions with complex stakeholder maps. In this session Sarah-Jane will explore some key tactics to get the most out of your relationships with your line manager, direct reports and other internal and external stakeholders so you can drop the politics and concentrate on the fun stuff!

Join this panel of HE specialists as they discuss the good, the bad and the ugly with their experiences of restructures, how to survive through the process and how to thrive at the other end.

Claire and Georgia will talk you through how The University of Sheffield resourced the university’s largest restructure to date from creating the new structure and delivering the internal comms plan to recruiting and training the right staff.

Higher education is under increasing pressure to ensure that its staff and student body are representative. In this practical session, Vicky and Steph share best practice to show how your student and staff recruitment activity can encourage diversity and inclusion without being tokenistic. They will also provide you with some tools to encourage greater, and more representative, contributions from your teams.

“I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler.” – Albert Einstein

“I have written 11 books, but each time I think ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out”. – Maya Angelou

If Albert Einstein & Maya Angelou suffered from Imposter Syndrome, what chance do the rest of us have? Imposter Syndrome is not classed as a mental illness, but researchers describe it as a psychological pattern in which individuals doubt themselves; they do not feel that their accomplishments or talents have been earned, and have a persistent internalised fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’. In this session, Jo explores this pattern of behaviour and how it has impacted her working life and that of other colleagues in HE. She will also equip you with tips and methods to help you understand and overcome.