Earlier this year, we saw not one, but two impactful conferences being held by our Social Work and Social Policy department in Humanities and Social Sciences.
In June, we welcomed almost 300 delegates for the , the UK's only conference covering the whole of the social work field. Taking place over two days, the conference acknowledged the vital role of social work during the pandemic and its continuing importance as we confront the ongoing challenges of Covid-19.
Delegates were treated to some thought-provoking abstract presentations with one attendee installing a Shepherd鈥檚 Hut outside the venue and another using a unicycle during her timeslot, both firsts for us at TIC!
_-_1600_x_600.jpg "TIC Auditorium B&C combined. Photo: Lucy Knott")
The team then quickly turned their attention to the which saw almost 200 delegates arrive at TIC in the middle of July which focused on 鈥淓veryday gender and sexuality: justice, rights and activism in social work and helping professions鈥�.
In addition to using our award-winning facilities, the team also took advantage of our Conference Management Service, available to all internal members of staff at the University when running an event, offering an alternative to external Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs). The service support clients with delegate registration, the management of abstract submission and review and the creation of event websites and conference apps meaning we can dramatically reduce the burden of organising a conference for our academic colleagues. This allows them the space to focus on the content of the conference, ensuring the programme is topical and relevant for delegates.
Dr Trish Hafford-Leitchfield, Professor of Social Work said: 鈥淲e were ambitious enough to think that we could run two international conferences within two months. This is where the Conference Management Service was absolutely invaluable. Their friendly, expert and knowledgeable staff guided us through the whole process.鈥�
With both conferences using our registration management service and support with abstracts, alongside a conference app and website, they made full use of the services on offer.
We鈥檝e recently launched a new site for our internal colleagues where you can find lots of handy hints and tips about organising a conference and how we can support you. Make sure you check it out if you鈥檙e thinking about embarking on the challenge - we鈥檙e here to help.
What a feat for the Social Work and Social Policy department! With delegates attending from across the globe, and equality and human rights being at the heart of the knowledge exchange and policy changing discussions, it鈥檚 safe to say that both conferences have made a huge contribution in their field.
If you鈥檙e keen to host a conference and want to find out more, we鈥檙e always around for a chat! Please do get in touch, we鈥檇 love to hear from you!