Your Hybrid Conference: Facts & Solutions: Venues
The meetings industry has never before faced such a challenging time, and as a result the way we meet and work is changing.
Glasgow looks forward to a time when we can meet face to face again and welcome delegates to the city. However, how we meet and the extraordinary advances in virtual meetings as a result of Covid-19 restrictions must be recognised. The latest International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) statistics have revealed that 84% of meetings now intend to include hybrid and digital elements going forward in 2021.
In recognition of this development, Glasgow Convention Bureau has created a Hybrid Glasgow Hub which features tools, assets and resources to help conference organisers deliver a hybrid conference in the city. The hybrid conference series kick-started in July 2020 and since then the team have shared advice and insights into AV technology, as well as updates from our member Professional Conference Organisers. For the last installment in the series, we are featuring updates from some of Glasgow’s conference and meeting venues on the steps they are taking to offer hybrid solutions to organisers planning for the future.
The Scottish Event Campus
Understanding client requirements for delivering hybrid events is a key priority for the Scottish Event Campus (SEC), as the industry adapts to a new normal and new opportunities.
The SEC conference event technology strategy has been developed to facilitate the needs of the conference organiser, with the first steps in the strategy being a client survey. The survey gathered information from over 100 conference organisers to give the SEC a deep, clear insight into how the venue can support the health of their events moving forward.
For the SEC team, this goes further than just technology. By looking at all aspects of the health of an event – including financial/economic, environmental as well as delegate health, which has been a key focus for the venue for five years now, the SEC can help deliver well-rounded, sustainable events.
Adapting to the new norm is not an overnight fix, so spending time carrying out these reviews and research projects is crucial. That being said, there is demand for immediate support as organisers have had to switch to virtual events. The SEC recently supported the European Conference on Computer Vision, which was due to be held in Glasgow, in delivering a fully virtual event with an SEC feel.
University of Strathclyde Technology & Innovation Centre
All of the TIC’s four auditoria and ten conference rooms are equipped with webcams, resident PCs and hard-wired internet access, meaning straightforward video conferencing, streaming and webinars are simple and comes at no extra cost.
It’s also possible to stream larger plenary sessions, with the support of TIC’s friendly in-house technicians. The Centre’s flexible, interconnected conferencing spaces mean that proceedings from the Main Auditorium can be streamed to the Level 1 Auditorium, to the Conference Rooms on Level 3, and even to spaces elsewhere on campus – boosting the overall capacity of a conference, and allowing delegates to network together, at a safe distance, in the same central foyer spaces.
Strathclyde’s award-winning Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) is the ideal venue for a hybrid conference. Its location in the very heart of Glasgow makes it easily accessible for delegates attending in person; while its flexible, user-friendly audio-visual infrastructure make it easy to connect with others attending virtually.
The venue’s fast, free and reliable WiFi network makes it easy for delegates to join Q&A sessions via web-based solutions, to access abstracts and connect with virtual delegates via conference apps, and of course to Tweet about the conference while they’re onsite!
Glasgow Caledonian University
At Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), hybrid events were already starting to become more prominent within the event planning process, as more organisers were beginning to focus on the sustainability of their conferences.
The move towards hybrid has been accelerated by the Covid situation but we see this as an opportunity to further our credentials as a sustainable venue for events to take place, as the ‘University for the Common Good' we are a Platinum Eco Campus as well as being ranked in the top 100 sustainable universities in the world (UI GreenMetric World University Rankings).
With high speed wi-fi available across campus at no additional charge, as well as strong relationships with suppliers to meet more complex AV requirements, GCU is ideally positioned to support the move to the hybrid model for its clients.
The University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow work in close partnership with their technical team and most importantly conference organisers to facilitate a truly interactive experience, for delegates both in person and online. Utilising the sizeable portfolio of spacious venues and first class AVIT services to create bespoke offline and online content and acknowledging that each experience can be very different is of high importance to the University of Glasgow. Content should be tailored to each individual event to ensure maximum engagement.
The appeal of the University of Glasgow as a conference venue is simple really. Our stunning campus has long inspired students, staff and visitors from across the world, sparking conversations and collaborations that have the potential to have a significant and lasting impact. Our commitment to reaching as wide an audience as possible, be it in our academic or research activities has led to us looking beyond our physical campus however and as such we have the perfect setting for your delegates, whether they join us in person or online.
Maryhill Burgh Halls
Maryhill Burgh Halls are working with event company Cameron on delivering a range of hybrid options for meetings. From livestreaming to virtual meeting rooms there are a range of options available with support throughout the entire process.
Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel
The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel have developed a new technology package that offers the best of in-person and hybrid events. The in-house Hybrid Package has all the benefits of a face to face meeting, balanced with safe physical distancing measures. The package allows content to be streamed between conference rooms to up to 80 delegates. Each of the meeting spaces now includes studio quality web conferencing technology, displayed on either a 65” 4K TV or HD projector.
In addition to upgraded meeting room technology, delegates and organisers will still receive the same high quality of service that the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel is known for. From our range of versatile and well-equipped meeting spaces to conference menus consisting of locally sourced produce prepared by our award winning chefs. Allow our experienced and highly dedicated team help and support with your next meeting.
Glasgow Convention Bureau and the city’s conference venues look forward to welcoming you back to Glasgow, when the time is right. Our venues have a range of options available to help with your next hybrid conference, find their contact details below to get in touch.
