Higher Education. With a rich background in product design engineering, Alex brings a unique perspective to every project, leveraging his process-oriented mindset to drive innovation and excellence. With a keen focus on supporting HE organisations, Tale Production is now a trusted partner for delivering industry-leading videography projects. Over the past 9 years, he has collaborated with prestigious universities, including Loughborough University, Durham University, and the University of Leicester.
In the fast-paced landscape of higher education, hosting events can serve as a powerful catalyst for fostering stakeholder engagement and, often, facilitating the dissemination of research for academics. From academic conferences, round tables, and PhD research symposiums, these gatherings serve as the perfect opportunity to enrich academic discourse and significantly contribute to the institution’s KEF and REF scores. In this article, we explore best practices when running events in HE and how to extract maximum value post-event.
From this article, you will learn about the importance of employing the most appropriate media channels for each audience, how we have worked with the University of Leicester to disseminate their research project through film, and how you can foster audience engagement even after your event has finished.
Fostering Stakeholder Engagement
Events in higher education provide a platform for fostering meaningful interactions among diverse stakeholders, including students, faculty members, researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers. These gatherings offer the opportunity for knowledge exchange, networking, and collaborative partnerships, which are integral to advancing academic excellence and addressing contemporary challenges.
Moreover, events can enhance institutional reputation and brand visibility. A well-executed conference or seminar not only showcases the institution’s academic presence but also demonstrates a commitment to societal impact. Through thought-provoking discussions and experiential learning opportunities, a sense of community emerges among participants. In order to engage participants before, during, and after post-event, it’s ever important to ensure the institution’s branding is cohesive, with engaging assets distributed on relevant channels. Doing a social media audit is a helpful tool to ensure that you’re reaching your audience on the channels where they show up. For example, you wouldn’t attempt to reach a new wave of academics on TikTok, but user-generated student content for student recruitment would be ideal for TikTok!
Disseminating Research Excellence
One of the primary objectives of hosting events in higher education is to disseminate cutting-edge research findings and facilitate academic dialogue. Conferences and symposiums can provide academics with a platform to present their work to a wider audience, receive constructive feedback, and engage in debates. This visibility enhances the impact of their research and opens avenues for collaboration and knowledge translation. By disseminating research findings through events, institutions contribute to the advancement of their respective fields and address pressing societal challenges through evidence-based solutions.
As an event organiser in HE, it’s crucial that you capture as much of the value at the event as possible. In the past, I’ve helped the University of Leicester to offer hybrid functionality for their ‘Landscape Decisions’ project. The outcome of this project was 29 videos that captured all knowledge and information shared at the event. This meant information could be shared for a month following the event and was of high value to all the speakers and researchers involved at UoL.
Post-Event Value Through Engaging Video
Video production plays a crucial role in 21st-century digital marketing for Universities. Where one of the main goals for HE organisations is student recruitment, the importance of engaging video cannot be overstated when social media is one of the main marketing channels. Capturing the hard work that goes into an event is essential; those moments of human interaction, and learning, and capturing your institution’s facilities in their best light are essential for highlighting what your University has to offer.
By offering events with hybrid functionality, it enhances accessibility and inclusivity by accommodating remote participants who may be unable to attend in person. I’ve helped various Universities across the UK offer hybrid functionality (we do get some funny looks when we wheel in the 3 trolleys worth of visual/audio kit that this requires!), which has helped increase participant engagement significantly.
Additionally, post-event video content serves as a valuable resource for knowledge dissemination and marketing purposes. Institutions can leverage event highlights, keynote presentations, and participant testimonials to showcase their thought leadership and attract future attendees. In the past, I have supported Universities to maximise value from their events and amplify their impact on academic discourse and research dissemination.
In conclusion, hosting events in higher education is essential for fostering stakeholder engagement, advancing research excellence, and enhancing institutional visibility. By embracing innovative approaches such as proficient event filming and hybrid functionality, institutions can amplify the impact of their events and extract maximum post-event value. As we navigate the evolving landscape of higher education, events remain indispensable catalysts for driving academic innovation and societal change.