08:45 am
Registration, Refreshments and Networking
09:30 am
Chair’s Welcome Address
Raman Sarpal
Deputy Director of Marketing
Anglia Ruskin University (CONFIRMED)
09:40 am
Reimagining the Student Recruitment Marketing Campaign
Re-examining the student recruitment lifecycle, core touchpoints and how future cohorts want to interact
What does impactful engagement look like and how can universities enhance their connection with their enquiry and applicant pool?
What are we missing on the route to conversion and how can marketing teams maximise their success rate?
Right place, right time? How can we interact with students on their own terms?
How do we develop distinct messaging and a clear brand proposition that resonates?
Are we falling behind? How can universities learn from other highly competitive industries in reimagining our marketing campaigns?
Will Marsh
Director of Marketing, Communications and Digital
University of Wolverhampton (CONFIRMED)
Daniel Pilkington
Head of Digital Marketing
Aston University (CONFIRMED)
Sarah Linington
Head of Marketing
University of Sheffield (CONFIRMED)
Helen Bower
Director of Student Recruitment
Northumbria University (CONFIRMED)
Emily Bell
Head of Undergraduate Marketing
University of Liverpool (CONFIRMED)
10:30 am
AI in Flux: The Big Strategic Questions for Marketing Leaders
The state of play on AI adoption in higher education marketing and where we go next
Developing a holistic approach to deploying AI throughout your marketing strategy
Understanding your end goal, the value of AI and support ROI
Building AI capability in your workforce and examining what an AI-ready culture looks like
The real prize: high impact segmentation and personalisation
Privacy and consent: supporting transparency on how you use AI to your audience
11:00 am
Clearing 2024 and Beyond. What Lies Ahead? What to Expect and How to Prepare from the Voice of IDP Connect Students
Headline Sponsor: IDP Connnect
An exclusive first look in to our student research that IDP Connect undertook drilling down in to how students are expecting to make decisions over clearing 2024
If and how have student research priorities changed since 2024 and how could this impact your university?
How is the cost-of-living crisis playing out with both subject demand and geographical demand, utilising data pulled from IDP Connects real time data tools of over 17 million prospective student and key influencer users researching across Whatuni and CUG. How will this impact clearing, but also 2025 recruitment?
Summary of data signals for 2024 and beyond
Camilla King
Director of Client Partnerships, UK
IDP Connect (CONFIRMED)
Jon Montgomerie
Associate Head of Client Success
IDP Connect (CONFIRMED)
11:20 am
Networking Break and Refreshments
Our networking session will support opportunities for leader meet-ups, mentor matching and an opportunity to explore new solutions at our exhibition.
11:50 am
Building a MarComms Community of Practice Across Your Institution
Breaking down the silos and ‘pockets’ of practice
Making marketing innovations a shared success across an institution
Building the infrastructure for a thriving community of practice
What it takes to embed new ideas across a community and generate change
Who else should be marketing teams be partnering with and listening to?
Heather MacBain
Head of Marketing
The University of Edinburgh (CONFIRMED)
12:30 pm
Session Changeover
12:40 pm
Panel Discussion: Higher Education Trends - Adapting to Changing Markets and Student Choices
Sponsored by UCAS
Join this UCAS-led panel discussion, where leading experts will examine the current state of student demand, both locally and globally. Panellists will explore how student applications are changing, what influences student choices and how offer making drives decision making. This session will offer the latest insights and strategies for higher education marketing leaders navigating a rapidly evolving market.
Dave Penney
Interim Chief Marketing Officer
UCAS (CONFIRMED)
Jo Richards
Senior Insights Lead
UCAS (CONFIRMED)
Sera Evans
Associate Director: UK Student Recruitment
University of South Wales (CONFIRMED)
Student
Year 13
(CONFIRMED)
1:20 pm
Networking Lunch
2:30 pm
Privacy-First Paradigm: Navigating the Evolving Digital Marketing Landscape
Sponsored by Net Natives
We need to fundamentally adapt our digital marketing strategies or risk losing a lot of our hard work. Join Net Natives for a summary of the latest changes in this privacy-centric advertising landscape. We'll cover the key tools you need to help you adapt in Media 3.0 and stay ahead of the curve, as legislation continues to change.
Ammie Macnaghten
Head of Global Strategy
Net Natives (CONFIRMED)
Charlie Penrose
Creative Director
Net Natives (CONFIRMED)
2:50 pm
Unlocking Impactful Hyper-personalisation in Student Recruitment Marketing
Designing an infrastructure of diverse data sources to power AI-led communications
Embedding the components of hyper-personalisation into your conversion strategy
Harnessing automation to deliver a truly customised experience that responds to the needs and interests of the applicant
Developing an approach that is ethical, transparent and ensures user privacy
What does the path to mature hyper-personalisation look like in practical terms for a university?
Michelle Amos
Associate Director Marketing and Digital
The University of Salford (CONFIRMED)
Sean Johnson Hargreaves
Head of Admissions & Applicant Services
Staffordshire University (CONFIRMED)
Jason Yip
Head of Marketing Web, CRM & Analytics
Newcastle University (CONFIRMED)
3:30 pm
Networking Break and Refreshments
Our networking session will support opportunities for leader meet-ups, mentor matching and an opportunity to explore new solutions at our exhibition.
4:00 pm
The Head and Heart of Storytelling: How to Find your Inner Storyteller
Why do we need stories, not just words, to engage our audiences?
We can all become storytellers, but how do we find our inner storyteller?
Where do we sit on the storytelling spectrum? Do we tell stories with our head or heart?
How can we lean into our storytelling strength to make our heads whir and our hearts stir?
Simon Fairbanks
Head of Community Engagement
Pickle Jar Communications (CONFIRMED)
4:20 pm
Making Academic Partnerships Your Number 1 Marketing Asset
Creating an open dialogue with your academics about their offering and market value
Managing conflicting priorities and supporting departments to showcase distinctiveness
Reviewing a course portfolio and assessing what is working and what needs to change
Transforming academics into a marketing asset and equipping them with the tools to sell their offering
Helen Merrills
Head of Marketing and Communications
University of Roehampton (CONFIRMED)
4:40 pm
5 Big Ideas: Developing Stronger Connections with Your Enquirer and Applicant Pool
What does it mean to feel connected?
What are the fundamentals of a meaningful and authentic relationship?
Where is a genuine connection with your applicants won or loss?
This session will explore 5 practical ideas your marketing team in placing impactful relationships with your applicants at the heart of your campaign.
Penny Eccles
Founder
Marketing Partnership (CONFIRMED)
5:00 pm
Conference Close
*Agenda subject to change