Events programme helping raise Abertay’s global profile

Abertay University views conferences and events as a golden opportunity to promote its courses, research and qualifications.

Lorna Edwards, head of business engagement at the Dundee educational institution, said: “The events and conferencing sector is growing increasingly important for academic institutions as universities and colleges seek to raise their profile and compete in the recruitment market.

“This month we successfully launched the first in a series of tailored business breakfasts as part of a wider strategy of engaging with Scottish business, listening to their needs and providing suitable events.

“In terms of attracting large numbers of visitors into the university, the importance of conferences cannot be overstated as they provide a golden opportunity to promote the courses, research and qualifications Abertay has to offer.”

Mrs Edwards said Abertay is involved in staging a handful of major conferences every year, attended by thousands of delegates.

She added: “While relatively few of our events are profit-making, the level of exposure that a well-run project can produce is well worth significant investment and in the coming months we will be assessing how we might capitalise on future opportunities.”

Abertay is expanding its events package in 2017, including a five-day digital graduate show in May to celebrate 20 years since becoming the first university in the world to offer named courses in computer games design.

To mark this, the Abertay Digital Graduate Show (ADGS) will take over the Hannah Maclure Centre (HMC) and Student Centre as final-year students showcase their work from across School of Arts, Media and Computer Games.

Abertay HMC curator and lecturer Clare Brennan said ADGS offered a chance for people unfamiliar with the creativity and technical wizardry that goes on within Abertay the chance to find out mores.

A wide selection of other events at Abertay are also in the planning stages.

Although the university will not run its Dare ProtoPlay computer games event this year after a decision to refocus funding on the Dare to be Digital gamescreation contest, it will remain a key partner to the NEoN Digital Arts Festival from November 8-12, with participants expected from across the globe in addition to local artists.

Also this year, the university will host the third International Missing Children and Adults Conference from June 14-16.

Delegates from academia, policing, government and non-governmental organisations will attend the event, previously staged in Brussels.

Meanwhile, from March 4-12, Abertay will host events feeding into the Women in Science Festival and from April 21-28 will link into Dundee Mental Health Awareness Week.

Clare Brennan, Hannah Maclure Centre curator and lecturer in Visual Arts Practice at Abertay University, is overseeing the forthcoming Abertay Digital Graduate Show which is expected to draw hundreds of visitors to the institution.