So many of you for coming.
My name is Deborah Greene.
I'm the CEO of UCISA.
It's my great pleasure to welcome you to this.
You seize the 24 leadership conference, exhibitor briefing
and many of you will have been at user conferences and indeed
leadership conference before, but we really equally have some
Members present who haven't been part of that.
So this is a change.
Normally this is something that I do right at the building of
confidence in the exhibition hall, trying to make myself
heard above the setup noises and everybody else filing in, and we
suddenly realized it was a better way to do this.
So this is our first attempt to give you all a much more equal
chance of hearing what it is that we have to say and the main
purpose of this, yes, is to brief you.
But it's also to try and help you to have ideas for how to
strike up conversations and to make sure that you get the very
most out of the investment that you've made into your size and
into this conference for which we are tremendously grateful.
Nobody in that room that our institutional members
particularly under any doubt that but for the support that
you give our conferences and events, they would not be
possible.
And so there's a huge amount of goodwill that attaches to you,
whether you're being a a major sponsor or whether you're you're
an exhibitor at the event.
People are very, very grateful for the support that you show to
you.
Sizer through your participation.
So as you said, we're gonna holding slide there, do feel
free to ask questions in the chat pain if I'm in full flow
shall I'll be monitoring it to make sure that I don't miss any
of the questions we are going to record it and we're going to
make it available.
And after when behind some sort of lock in, won't it login
detail went it shown?
It will be, yeah.
Yeah, lovely.
So you'll have to log in to the website to get access to that
recording, but then as a member you'll be able to do that, and
if you could mute your microphone when you're not
speaking only because then, otherwise we're here all life.
Had one the other day, little boy shouting his to his mum for
toast, and then that interrupted our meeting.
So all things happen, but that's the only reason and it stops us
getting any feedback.
So as I was saying earlier, we're going to cover a wide
range of today from some really practical things that she's
going to take you through about setup, et cetera, conference.
Then I'll go through some of the things about how to make the
most of your conference and then we'll move on to take you
through some of the issues that the sectors facing.
So that gives you a sense of the sort of things you could be
talking to people about when you're trying to engage them in
conversation at the conference.
That sense of what the sector is doing right now, so that's given
200 people in the call now shall that's given plenty of people
time to join while we while we deal with the basic practical
Yeah.
housekeeping.
So at this point I'm gonna hand over to Shawn Thomas, our head
of events and corporate engagement.
Who's going to and very much the leader of this conference so
that she can take you through some of the practical things
that she needs you to know.
Something to you, Sean.
Thank you, Deborah.
I'm seeing a lot of names and faces.
I know, but Ernest Debra said.
I'm head of corporate engagement and events that UCISA and
one of the lead contacts for this conference.
So you're here either if you're booked on to the leadership
conference to attend as an exhibitor, or if you're one of
our marketing main contacts as well.
And that's another reason why we wanted to try doing this
virtually is to try and because we're very conscious we send out
comes to our marketing contacts ahead of time.
And then we also have this separate exhibitor briefing just
for those people at the conference, but we wanted to do
this so that we cover everyone and also in good time in the
conference as well.
You know, we're still three weeks away, so naturally this
will then generate more questions from yourselves.
So you now have time in between the conference to to formulate
those questions and pop them over to us.
But just to reconfirm, so we're at the ICC in Edinburgh and the
conference is from when I'm just going to meet someone.
Sorry, and the conferences from Wednesday the 13th of March
until Friday the 15th of March.
And then the exhibition is on two days.
So it's on the Wednesday and Thursday, it's just 1/2 day
conference that we have on that Friday in terms of setup fuel,
you're able to set up from 2:00 o'clock on that Tuesday the 12th
of March and you have until 6:00 o'clock that day, the ICC will
lock up at 6:00 o'clock on that Tuesday.
You do also have time at the start of day one before we open
registration, just to finish up your setup from 8:00 o'clock in
the morning on that Wednesday, you've got until 9:30 for final
setup, but we do recommend where possible trying to get as much
set up on that Tuesday as possible just for your own piece
of mind.
Really.
And when you first arrive to the venue and you'll see, for those
of you who are not familiar with the ICC, when you stand in front
of it, you'll see two entrances.
If you look for the Lennox entrance, you won't be able to
miss it because they'll be big pink.
UCISA a branding along the the window vinyls, so if you go
to the Lenox entrance and just go through that door, you'll see
the Sizer team on the registration desk straight in
front of you.
And and it will be split out between delegates and
exhibitors.
Obviously no delegates will be there and that Tuesday, but if
you just head to the exhibitor registration desks then we'll be
able to guide you down into the exhibition room, the exhibition
room, just for reference, is called the Lenox Suite.
Say for any deliveries that you're arranging, you will need
to put that on there.
I'm the deliveries just on that note.
UM, if you do send any to the venue, we'll need to be
collected by you or your team who are attending the
conference, and you'll need to collect them from loading Bay,
so the venue will not move the deliveries to the stands, which
is slightly different to some of the other conferences we've
done.
The venue don't have trolleys readily available, so therefore
any recipients of any deliveries that you you send need to make
sure that they can transport the items from the loading Bay to
your Stan location and just please please please make sure
that your deliveries are clearly labeled with the event name,
your company name and the stand number.
At the very least, you'll be surprised by how many deliveries
we receive that say UCISA of 24, but then no other
information.
So it's really hard for us to to try and work out who's who's.
I'm, as I said before, that the the exhibition is on the
Wednesday and Thursday so the exhibition opens at 10:00 AM on
that Wednesday and closes at 6:00 o'clock on Wednesday.
Deb will go into small information about the drinks
that we're hosting at the end of that day and then on the
Thursday, we are open from 9 until four.
So you can start packing up your stands from 4:00 o'clock on that
Thursday.
We just need to be clear of that room by 9:00 PM, umm.
And the venue will dispose of anything left in the room after
this time.
Say any deliveries collections that you're arranging, you will
need to take them back to the loading Bay once you've packed
them up, the venue will circulate and go around to the
exhibition room during the day on Thursday with a collection
notice that they'll want you to attach to your deliveries.
Sorry for your collections.
So just attach that to your collection and they do.
Ask that everything is collected on that Thursday.
They they have, it's quite a small space in the in the
loading Bay and they've got another event coming in after
us.
I'm you will as like you have to collect your deliveries from the
loading Bay at the start.
Any collections you have to send back to yourselves, you will
need to take them from the exhibition room to the loading
Bay.
The loading Bay is right outside the main room.
There's not too much of a walk there at all.
Umm, but you can't leave anything in that Lennox suite.
I'm so just to to introduce many of you are know my colleague
Richard Stone.
So I think he should be popping up at some point.
But Richard will be exhibited liaison at the event and he will
be on hand should you need anything.
Esther Wong again.
Who many of you know will also be supporting hi rich and say
yeah, as I said, Richards is your main point of contact there
followed by Esther.
But then obviously any user staff member can help you.
So if you do need anything, please visit us on the
registration desk just to let you know the sizes are team will
be wearing a different color, lanyards to everyone else.
Say Ohh delegates and exhibitors and everyone will have a pink
lanyards, but all your size of stuff will have a black lanyard.
Say anyone wearing a black lanyards will be able to help
you.
I'm and then finally just for I hand over to Deborah, I just
wanted to let you know about the QR codes on the delegate badges.
Those of you who were at conference last year and at the
other conferences we ran last year, you would have seen this
already, but there will be QR codes on all delegate badges
which you can scan with their permission and that will give
you their details.
So it will be a similar process to the events we hosted last
year.
So you don't need to hire a lead scanner, you'll be able to use
your phone for that and will be sending more information out
later this week just with the lead capture details there.
But there's definitely no lead scanners that you have to hire.
So that's really all of the logistics that I wanted to run
through for the time being.
So I'll pass back over to Deborah.
Shoot, Shawn could just ask, can I just clarify?
Sorry, Deborah.
Presumably all of that information has been sent out
already to all of the exhibitors.
The the the setup and stuff.
Yes, yes, I I'm simply.
Yeah.
So you do have that written down.
I can see if you're frantically scribbling during that, so you
do have that information already.
If anybody can't access it, just let this events team know and
they'll resend that to you.
So you've got all the information that you need
around, you know, going in the entry.
Absolutely.
And I will also paste a link to the booking pack and except a
handbook as well, which has all of the information that I've
just mentioned there.
That's even better shown.
But yeah, I've just picked out the main points.
Something that's already in the chat.
Ohh is it perfect?
Yeah, well done, Richard.
I've I've popped a link to the FAQ page, but I'll I'll also pop
a link to the the handbook which are a bit more comprehensive,
Thank you.
but the facts page is probably a quick and easy way to answer a
lot of questions, and if anything crops are part, always
suggest checking their first just cause it's quite digestible
and other than that everything else through a handbook there is
Definitely.
one question in the chat channel which I'm actually not sure of,
Yeah.
which is I'm I think Joanne, you might have the wrong date there.
You've asked about the 6th, but I think I know where what you're
asking is for the conference setup the day before on the
Tuesday, our staff required to wear high viz vests.
I'm say no high viz required after 2:00 o'clock.
That's that's one of the, say, high Rex, who are the UM stand
builders who are building all of the shell schemes.
They will be starting from 6:00 AM and they'll be done by 2:00
o'clock, which is why we say you can set up from 2:00 o'clock.
So no hivis is required from 2:00 o'clock onwards for the.
For those of you who have space only stands, we've emailed you
all saying that you can arrive a little earlier.
So for those space only stands, you will need to wear high viz.
But for 95% of you who are on shell scheme, then no high is
needed.
Are there any other questions that shall, before we move on
Thank you.
with plenty of time towards the end as well?
No, I'm something shaking hands.
Lovely.
OK, so I'm just gonna change the view and try this.
Hopefully that I'll do what Richard did and it'll make it
just a little bit easier for people to see what I've got you
as main speaker.
I thought that would show me show, but it clearly isn't.
Like I can spotlight you, Deborah, if that's some.
Can you let me just get rid of that and lovely.
Thank you.
There you go.
That would be helpful.
Lovely.
Thank you very much everyone.
So many of you are, you know, old hat at this conference,
you've been many, many times.
But just as a reminder for anybody for whom this is their
first use, size of leadership conference, the audience are
largely CIOs and senior management.
And from the sector or from leading from, from UK
universities and colleges.
And we're gonna go through now all the usual advice that we
give everybody the main the way to get the very best out of this
conference is to use it as an opportunity to make friends.
And I'd literally mean make friends.
This sector absolutely loathes being sold to, so it really
isn't about making the big sales pitch.
It's about getting to know people and seeking first to
understand the issues they're facing, the problems that
they're experiencing and then of course, if that leads you onto
how you can help, that's another matter.
But I think it's all about building your brand presence and
really getting to know this very, you know, scenic audience
of people for those who have been to other commercial events,
it's very different to that.
We always call it some of the biggest family gathering of you
size are in the in the annual calendar because very much it
will feel like you said was a big family.
Our institutional members certainly feel that way, but
these days so are our corporate members part of that because of
the symbiosis I referred to at the beginning, they know that.
But for you guys, a lot of these events wouldn't be possible.
And so you're very much part of that family now and you know,
getting to know people is is really key part of this.
And of course, you know, cementing all formal
relationships, it's not about the hard sell here.
Have when delegates were register, they're going to be
given a bingo card.
Some of you will be familiar with the bingo card and that has
mixed all the exhibitors names onto those bingo cards.
And when a delicate hands you their card, make sure you are
the stamp it or initially it.
So that's their proof that they've been to your stand and
they've had a conversation with you.
And the reason we do that is delegates who do that and fill
their bingo card a card out with an A chance of getting a prize
if they submit those fully completed bingo cards.
So it's one of the ways that we try to make sure people
circulate and go and talk to people they would not
necessarily otherwise go and speak to.
If you'd like to offer a prize from your organization as part
of that bingo process, then do please let the events team know.
They'll advertise you as a bingo card sponsor on the bingo card,
so it's another bit of profile for you.
So if anyone's interested in that the events team can give
you all of the details.
So let's think about all the places that you can use to start
to get to know members and to mingle with them.
So at the end of day one Wednesday the 13th, we're going
to be hosting a drinks reception in the exhibition rooms.
We're in the exhibition hall and again, that's a means of trying
to get people to really circulate and and deal with
that.
So I would strongly recommend you stay on your stand for that
extra period to make sure you're there because people will be
there with a drink in their hand and much more amenable to
talking.
And the drinks reception will run from 7th day from 5:15 to
6:00 o'clock and that will still give you just enough time to
whisper.
And getting the phone box and turn around and change and come
out for the informal dinner in the evening, which went.
What time does the informal dinner start, Sean?
Drink from 7 I'm sit down at 20.
Since we're southern, so he just got an hour and it is quite
close by.
Everything's quite nearby and there are buses to get people to
Yes.
the the informal dinner on the Tuesday night.
Wednesday night, yeah.
So yeah, so you know that that tends to work really well and
we'll come back on to the informal dinner, I think in a
little while.
But again, my thanks to all of you who've supported that there
had become a bit of a an issue with exhibitors taking people
out on that night, leaving us with a very much a substandard
event and we were able to talk to all of our corporate sponsors
and asked them not to do that.
And I'm just thrilled with the response we've had.
You've all really rallied around.
I'm hoping this will be a really great first night in formal
dinner.
As a result, we should have more people there and it should be a
really fun event.
We're doing family style service, so it'll sit around
tables and they'll the food will come into the middle.
You're about to pass it round and shower again, and little
technique just to help people chat and get get mingling again
at that event.
So you have got tickets for that event.
Lovely to see you there and I probably shouldn't need to say
this, but in the exhibition hall, as well as being there for
the the, you know, the big drinks receptions we do find
those that are really engaged on their stand do far better, far
better than those that sort of sit and wait for people to
approach them.
So I think it's probably I sound patronizing saying that, but
it's worth saying because I have known some people sit and just
sit behind the laptop, clearly working and waiting for people
to come up to them.
Do whatever you can to get people engaged on your sons.
Put something interesting on there.
You came up with some amazing things last year.
We had doughnut and Donuts that you threw on pegs to get there
and all sorts of fun games that people were playing on on their
stand just to get people engaged.
Really great idea.
And you know, lots of people with chocolates and and things
on their stand.
The one that always goes well is some sort of a prize draw, and
Lego seems to be the the the goatee prize that everyone going
from, you know, every seems to be competing for the biggest
Lego set these days, but it really does work.
And you know, it's a great way to gather as well as scanning
their QR codes.
Gather the contacts and they have a brief chat with people
that works really, really well and what we are doing.
We're trying to increase the time to interact in the
exhibition center because obviously we've got such a full
program of events.
We have listened to you saying there's not always enough time
for people to get round and see us all, so we've arranged for
the exhibitor food in lunches to be served half an hour before
the delegates so that you can get some lunch and then they'll
restock and then the delegates will come in.
And that means you can then be on your standards to talk to
them while they're wandering around with their food and
having a chat with you.
So we're hoping that will work really, really well.
And I mean that you won't lose out on people that are wandering
around because you're queuing for your lunch.
So we'll be interesting your feedback, it's new thing that
we've tried this year.
So if it, you know, let us know how you feel and whether you
feel it's an improvement on previous years.
Those who have been there before.
The the other events you're aware of, there's the awards
dinner on the I keep reading my days wrong here.
The Thursday night, some of you will have bought tickets to the
awards series.
The other thing, the informal dinner on the Wednesday night
shot.
Are we going to take exhibitors through first?
Have we now done so well in selling tables that we don't
need to do that?
But.
I mean we we we do have a lot of tables, but we will still be
doing that.
So we will be calling through exhibitors to sit down and those
Not my.
who have sponsored tables at 7:45 and then we will be piping
up.
We have a piper playing during drinks reception and he will be
piping the delegates up at 7:50, so we'll call you in 5 minutes
ahead of that.
And the reason we do that again, if that seems like a strange
thing for us to do, it's because the other than those that are on
named tables, there is no seating plan.
So what that allows you to do is go in and spread yourselves
amongst the tables, and then the delegates will fill in around
you.
So it should mean you're not left as has happened on previous
things where the institutional members blocking all sit
together and we end up with tables with all exhibitors
sitting together.
So we're again, we've got a clever way of doing getting
around that.
We did it in Manchester for the first time and it worked
incredibly well, so we're putting that back in for this
year.
So do listen out if you're up that informal dinner on the
Wednesday night for the call for exhibitors to go and take their
places.
It's a great way to make sure that you're gonna get some
interesting people to talk to you, not the colleague.
If I exhibitors aren't interesting, but they're not the
people that you're targeting at the event, you can talk to them
well while the sessions are on, if you need to.
The other thing I wanted to say is don't forget that your
conference pass enables you to go into all of the sessions bar
one.
There is just one closed session in the conference which will be
clearly marked on it.
It'll be very obvious that that only institutional members can
join that particular meeting.
Or do some internal use size of business, but do make the most
of that.
There will be virtually nobody in the exhibition hall while the
sessions are on, and so go and sit amongst them in the in the,
in the plenary sessions, in the showcase sessions, because
again, it's a great way to strike up conversations and only
the other day somebody said to me this person last one said so
what's happening in the sector and actually looked to them
went.
There's a whole 3 days of what's happening in the sector.
Are you not participating or you're not listening?
So it does frustrate people when you know you're not picking up
the intelligence that's there in the conference hall for all to
consume.
And it may give you great ideas for how to you know how to
target your product and how to showcase your product, because
you'll know there's a very specific issue that you can help
with because we've just been discussing it within the within
the main conference hall.
So I'd strongly recommend that you do that.
The other thing I will just briefly mention is we have had
advice from expert conference flow planners to really help us
to make sure that they're football throughout the
exhibition area should be as strong as it can possibly be and
we've taken advice on where to serve through from what to do to
make sure we've done everything in our power to drive traffic to
all parts of the of the exhibition hall.
So again, we'll be interested to hear what your views are on that
after the event.
Yes, there will be the obligatory survey at the end,
but we really do look at it.
We really do pay a great deal of attention to it.
So do let us know and if the things that you thought worked
well, all things you didn't think worked quite so well, were
always keen to listen.
So I think that's covered all of the points that we we needed to
do really and join in be part of the family, really make the most
of all of the events and that's the best way to get the most out
of this is very different and of course again, don't be
surprised.
Ours is quite a small conference.
There are only 160 universities major universities in the UK,
and so those they will all be there, all with their senior
leaders and CIO, but often they can only afford to send one on
one or two people, simply because they cannot afford to
have the whole team out of the institution attending a
conference.
So between 2:50 and 300 is the size that we always expect.
That's allowing for two per institution and that would
constitute a really solid event.
But the people there are really engaged.
So you can be sure that there are people that will want to
talk to you will want to to listen to what the is.
You've got to tell them.
OK, so how do I move it on to what they might be talking
about?
Well, some of you were very, very good and booked for a
session that we'd we'd positions to take place ahead of this
briefing and in good time for conference.
And that was the edgy cause.
Top ten survey and Susan grajek.
Who's the editor and author of that survey was going to speak
to us from the state.
Then of course, COVID intervened and Susan went down with COVID
and was genuinely, really poorly.
She came to the briefing the day before with Shawn and I and
Shawn and I said you really not well enough.
She was.
She was so wanted to be here, but you know, honestly, it was a
kindness.
She really was not in great shape at that point.
So you can you can blame Shawn and I for standing her down
rather than Susan.
She very much wanted to be here, so we we had tried to rearrange
that for before conference but it's proving very difficult.
So I'm gonna just take you through those edgy cores.
Top ten issues very briefly, and then I'm gonna take you through
another survey that I found recently which should do.
It also tends to the same sort of things, so I'm going to share
my screen, but we're also going to pop in the chat a link to
this infographic that I'm going to share so that a you can have
a look at it at your leisure whenever you want to, but also
the screen that I share isn't very large.
It'll help you to to follow it on your own laptop or computer,
so bear with me one moment.
Just need to go to that one.
If I go to the screen there, so hopefully you can now see is
that showing charm.
Yes. Yeah.
This point I lose sight of you.
Also let me know if anything pops up in the chat so this is
how the end.
Of course, top 10 is is presented every year.
This is the infographic that goes with it and what you'll see
is this year.
It's it's almost A1 trick pony data data and data is the thing
that everybody is talking about, but it really aims and and this
this survey is is predominant with U.S.
Companies.
But UCISA are supports this survey and we it's a panel of
around 20 people.
We have three of those panelists from the UK, so it does reflect
what's happening here in the UK as well, although the majority
of the panelists are from the US and really the themes of three
dimensions that came out of it was that an institutional
resilience, that's the overarching theme that came out
of all the qualitative and quantitative research, that edgy
calls, which is the size requirement in the US, carried
out.
I'm at gripping that sense of institutional resilience into 3
area mission resilience.
I keeping their eye on the prize and and the and the purpose of
their organization matched with operational resilience, keeping
all the lights on and the home fires burning, so to speak.
And then more importantly than ever, this year, financial
resilience is the other third theme.
So that's how they've grouped all of those things.
That's what sort of unites them all.
So the number one issue facing CIO is particularly in the US
and the UK is cybersecurity, cybersecurity as a core
competency with all that, that means.
So that means yes, it's about fantastic products with
cybersecurity absolutely baked in, but it's also about making
sure all of that stuff and more importantly their senior
leaderships, understand that cyber security is a business
issue, not an IT issue.
And we're only as strong as our weakest link.
So lots of other sites on the Great staff training, making
sure they understand the the cyber security features in the
products and services that they using.
But again, it's that perennial problem of balancing cost and
risk and making sure that they are secure enough.
But they're not throwing money away where they don't need to.
So if you have any aspects of cybersecurity baked into your
products or services, that is always a good win and a good
thing to be talking to people about because we know we want
the the most targeted sectors in the world education.
And so we're constantly on a daily basis warding off those on
the dark web that would seek to intrude and breach out our
borders.
And then the data focused starts #2 on the list is driving to
better decisions.
So a huge amount of comment in the survey around improving data
quality and governance.
People are finally switching on to the mine and wealth of
information that is in their institutions and everybody is
thinking about how they can drive those, use that data and
the quality of that data to really improve and inform the
decisions that they're making.
So again, if that's something that's a feature of any of your
products and services, it's a good thing to be talking to
people about let's scroll up.
So hopefully you can see the next few.
So the enrollment crisis we talked about this in plenary
sessions last year will be talking about it again with a a
response that UCISA is launching at the conference.
But enrollment crisis.
I'm sorry this is enrollment recruitment.
Forgive me, it's because I used to be a recruitment director, so
enrollment to me means means one thing.
I've I've changed camp so enrollment getting students to
say yes and again this comes back to you think it's all about
recruitment it is but it's more about data again how do they
mine the wealth of information that they possess to really
empower enrollment and to make sure they're reaching all of the
interested parties because this is the one area in our sector
where competition is now rife.
You know what a fantastic sector we are for sharing best
practices and sharing ideas when it comes to recruiting a
student, it is dog eat dog and it's very, very tough out there.
So anybody that can help institutions to harness the data
they have to lead towards better targeting of a would be student
population.
It would be very, very glad to hear from you.
And as if that wasn't enough data already and #4 is diving
deep into the data is if we had not gone deep enough.
Really, this is more about how they can leverage analytics to
give them truly actionable insights to improve learning and
student success.
So we've moved away from getting the students through the doors
to once they've got them there, how can we make sure that we're
using all of the data and the analytics that you're able to
provide them with through your products to improve that
student's learning and improve their opportunities to be truly
successful and come out at the end with a really great class of
degree, keep them fully engaged throughout.
The fifth thing, and it has gone down to 5th place in this one,
is administrative cost reduction.
Now this was done last October.
I would think if we were doing this right now, that would be
much, much higher on peoples lists because we're going
through a very, very swinging budget round right now across
the sector and times are very, very tough.
I say this to you every year, but we're beginning to see all
the usual things happening, people being banned from
travelling, people being banned from attending training events.
So we're very glad to have such a great turn out at this
conference because they have had to make a business case for
being there and they've had to prove the value of it to their
institutions to be allowed to travel and to be present with
us.
And so anything that can look at administrative cost reduction,
particularly streamlining processes, streamlining the data
and building trust in that data.
So that institutions don't have multiple versions of the same
data in different formats, people keeping their own copy
because they trust it better.
And of course, anything that that's that means that they can
integrate their technologies.
That's again becoming a huge, huge ask those of you with
products that don't integrate with others are going to start
finding.
That's very, very difficult to sell into the sector because
they need all their systems and processes have to talk to one
another, particularly if they are going to harness the data
that his mind that there is available through all of those
processes.
So it's gonna be a really major feature we'll be talking about
it a great deal at the conference, I'm sure.
But don't we come on to our students, they're always the
key.
Focus.
That's so for our IT colleagues handsome, coming further down
the thing.
Although everything they do is aimed at that, you know, first
class student experience, but now meeting students where they
are is how this is being characterized and many of you
will be familiar with this.
We do now need to provide universal access to all
institutional services.
The phrase often uses any device anywhere, and so the days of
just licensing for hardware that sits on on computers in
libraries, it's gone now needing to be able to provide access to
those students wherever and however they choose to study.
So again, products that are able to enable that are warmly
welcomed by the sector and then hiring resilience.
Now this was the topic that we talked about at like last year.
We also show you, I believe, are struggling to hire great IT
talent.
So recruiting and retaining that talent in adverse circumstances
is a huge issue for all institutions.
And so again, often the turning to supplies to bridge that cat,
that gap when they've got shortfalls in, in the seals
areas and to make sure that you're able to help them in, in
meeting those skills gaps whilst they're recruiting to new
things.
So hopefully that's somewhere where those of you with
consultancy services or with products that can go in and help
people map out business cases will be extremely welcomed by
delegates throughout the conference.
And I suppose the lied to that.
And the reason that these are adverse circumstances is people
are really looking at their finances.
The next issues are all about finance, really.
And what they're looking for is what they're calling those
financial keys to the future.
How can they use technology and data to really help them make?
What are going to be very tough choices?
How do we rationalize our business?
How do we simplify our business?
What can we automate to save cost?
Because actually, if they can't recruit the people, then they're
gonna have to downsize and use other technologies.
Replace the skills that they're losing so all these things are
interlinked.
Really.
Because that leaves on very, very nicely and neatly too.
And #9, which is balancing budgets, there is a huge
emphasis in the sector on taking control of IT cost and proper
vendor management, which hasn't really been a key feature within
our sector for a long time.
It does exist, but not to the level of sophistication that
does in other industry sectors.
So you can see that's that's going to be on the increase over
the next three to five years and certainly it started already
with the current budget round.
So those of you that are, you know, actively involved are
willing to engage well in vendor management and talk to your
customers, make sure there's well cited of changes in your
product stack, changes of how you're going to sell that
product there, the supplies that will build the Trust and will
win business from our set to right now.
And then the final one, the top 10 adapting to the future,
cultivating institutional agility.
And if you look at all the other themes, they all lead to that.
The reason for the reliance on data?
The reason for thinking about better technology to better help
them is that increasingly, institutions are going to have
to be very, very agile to meet the demands of a very volatile
market sector market.
And so everybody is looking at all those things and that's
where the efficiency, the effectiveness of technology
making sure they are truly driving the value from the
project.
You know, do they ever actually meet the return on investment
that was promised in the sales pitch?
Those are the sort of things that people are going to be
focusing on.
Now, there's one very notable omission in that top ten.
Nowhere does it mention AI and AI is absolutely at the heart of
everything at the moment.
People are hugely interested in it, so don't think because it's
not there, it's it.
It isn't important they actually added a a sort of an adjunct to
this for the first time ever, and said and by the way, all of
that is in the context of AI and you know how your product links
to air, how it uses AI.
Those are the questions that you're going to be asked about
your product, your product or service.
So anybody that can help you will navigate what is
exceedingly complex AI landscape will again find they've got a
ready audience amongst delegates there.
I'm going to stop sharing my screen now.
Are you have access to the infographic, but I hope that
just gives you a sense now soon would have brought that to light
in she should have her whole hour to do that and a little bit
longer.
So she would have brought that to light for you, but at least
you've got that top ten in front of you and you can fill in those
gaps for yourself.
You all know this market incredibly well, but it may just
help you and it's a it's a server that is well known to the
section, so they do all refer to it.
So showing that you're aware of it and you know how to navigate
your way around it will be very helpful in striking up those
conversations.
And she got a pause and see if there any questions in the chat
that we that I need to be that I'm foregrounding here.
Shall have you spotted anything or all they all questions that
We, and we've been answering them as we as we go along.
you've been able to answer.
There's nothing specifically for you.
It's more the the logistic information.
Not like I thought that might be the case.
So that's no problem.
So now the other survey that I came across I when I was just
doing some research for this section is called CIO survey.
Now this is not UCISAs, but this is not our sector specific,
but I did find it very very interesting because it tends to
be much more thematic.
So I have just had a quick look at that and say they have 12,
but there's an amazing overlap between them.
The top top at two.
There are hardening cybersecurity now.
This is irrespective of what septarian.
So this is true wherever you work, so particularly true of us
as a very targeted sector.
So that was #1I and Operationalising artificial
intelligence.
Now again, that's the unspoken thing that isn't mentioned in
the edgy course top ten survey.
So I think and what it says though is the number one
question these days is how do we leverage generative AI?
And I think that is just as true for our sector.
How do they use it?
How do they use it safely?
How do they make sure the data doesn't leave their organization
and be used?
You know, in a way that they would not wish.
Huge issue #2 amongst CIO's across one other sector.
But interestingly item through is also very very similar to
that that we're facing in the sector coping with economic
pressures and uncertainty.
That's the number 3 issue.
So you see, there's a huge amount of synergy between what's
happening in the wider environment and what's happening
here in our sector.
Modernizing its speed is then #4, and now that to me is all
about the with the agility that I was talking to at #10 in the
top ten survey and linked that innovating meaningfully.
So again, that's all about that agility.
Do they use technology to help answer some of the very real
issues that they're facing around retaining staff,
recruiting staff and saving money along the way?
And then at #6I sang, ensuring IT value proposition.
And I think that's something that's not spoken, but we've
just come off a call with one of our corporate members and
talking about how to break into the IT into the IT and education
market.
And actually that was one of the key thing.
If you are selling anything to our Members and you all are
making sure that you can help them make the business case for
the investment in that product or service is probably the most
valuable thing that you can do.
Because what you've got to help show them is, is to help them
make that value proposition to make sure this technician is the
one thing that year that gets additional funding in a very
tight market.
So we talk a lot about partnering, but not it's not
always understood what that means.
That is genuinely rolling up your sleeves and helping them
write the business case that will get them to yes.
I'm the best seven in the as is driving data insights.
Well, that was much higher power list, but again it was two the
end of some of those other things.
Regulatory requirements are making sure that you're fit to
meet those, and your technology can meet them.
Democratizing tech development?
No code low code as we tend to refer to it throughout the
throughout your sizer, and that sense of democratization of tech
is again, it's a topic we talk about.
It just didn't make that top 10 this year.
So again, a really good one for you to be focusing on.
And again, then pretend acquiring and retaining talent.
So I do.
I do think there's a huge amount of synergy between those, so it
doesn't matter what sector you're in, the challenges that
everybody's facing are the same.
And I mentioned that because there will be new new people in
your organisations who have come in to the education sector from
outside during the year, since we were last altogether.
So I thought that might help you to help them to understand this
setera isn't so different.
What is different is the way they do business.
You know, sort of sales technique is used in other other
organizations simply won't wash in the education sector again on
that same color referred to earlier.
See I that was with me, told me it had 59 cold emails that
morning and they all just go straight into junkies.
First job every morning.
It's still the cold calls and his inbox and just junk them
straight away then not opened, so it really isn't the way to do
business in our sector.
So we're getting close to time.
I do want there to be time for you to to ask some questions.
I hope that's been helpful and I hope sharing that survey gives
you some insight, but I've talked a great deal.
Let's just pause for a moment to allow you to ask some questions.
I've mess up or showing all the events team about anything that
you've been wondering about and thinking you might get the
answers to in this session if you haven't asked them now, or
if you want to follow up on anything that we've mentioned so
far.
We're more than happy to do that, so I'm just going to open
the floor.
And Stepper, there's a question for you.
Say umm, there's, there's two questions.
Yeah.
Umm can we share the links to the infographic?
So I posted that in the chat, but I'll make sure when I
circulate the recording that we also share the link to the
infographic, but someone's also asked if you can share the CIO
survey that you've mentioned.
Yes, I'll find a link to that and and send that to you.
It's just what I came.
It was done back in a little bit earlier in 2023, but I just felt
when I read it.
Do you know what this is?
Really speaking to what I'm hearing on the ground every day.
And so those two things together was very sector specific.
The other more general, but the two together, I felt dove tailed
really well.
So yes, absolutely.
We'll get a link to that and get it over.
We'll add that as when we say the recording as well, shall we
get that over to you?
Definitely.
Thank you guys too.
And then just whilst people are formulating more questions, I
just talk through some of the questions that I've been
answering in the chat and they've been quite a lot of
questions around the two dinners.
So just to confirm, we're hosting 2 dinners across the
conference.
The first ones on the Wednesday night, Wednesday the 13th of
March, and that is taking place at the National Museum Scotland.
So it's not the same venue as the conference, so it's about a
20 minute walk.
However, as Deborah said, we have laid on some coaches, so
we've arranged for coaches to collect attendees from directly
outside the ICC.
I'm from about 6:30 onwards, and then once we fill a coach, we'll
we'll send them off 1 by 1.
We've got 7 coaches in total, so that's the first night dinner
and that is an informal dinner.
It's a quiz night and it's Debra said we'll do the family style
food.
It will be a plated starter, but then the main and dessert will
be served in middle of the table just to help with those
conversations.
But the dress code for that is smart casual.
And then the Thursday night dinner on the 14th of March will
be held in the ICC in the Conference Center.
UM, the main dinner will actually be in the main
conference room.
That we'll be using across the week and that's our awards
dinner.
That's black tie optional dress code.
So some people go all out.
There'll be many are killed there because we're in
Edinburgh, but not everyone goes full black tie, so we don't want
to press you into doing to dressing like that.
If you don't feel comfortable, but that one is slightly more
formal than the first night dinner, I just wanted to clarify
But it's very should dress to impress.
Evening, isn't it?
that it is.
It is.
Umm, but are there any other questions that that anyone has?
And I would always defined by the silence.
You just pop your hand up or you can just switch my icon.
You need to put your camera on if you're shy.
OK.
I guess just to, there was also, uh, I just run through some of
the questions in the chat.
Just whilst people formulate their questions just for the the
recording as well, someone asked what time the space only is can
can set up so on Tuesday the 12th space only is can set up
from 10:00 AM and that is purely the reason why they're in their
early is because you've got your own agency and Stan build is
going in to build the grand stands.
So if you're just arriving for shell scheme only, or just
arriving with bits of merch, please that's after 2:00 o'clock
anything, anything before 2:00, o'clock is under stricter health
and safety.
UM remits, so we we have to be strict, we can only let shell
schemes in from 2:00 o'clock, but the space only for the
larger builds is 10:00 AM, and if you're arriving at 10:00 AM
with space only, you do have to wear a high VIS.
That's just been a question in the chat, Shawn about event,
maybe.
Yes, we will be using the event, maybe app again and so you will
Yes.
be able to log on to that and connect with people via the app.
And another question is just come in.
UMI think I've answered this earlier, but just to for the
benefit of those who who have arrived later.
Yes, you can say we have is setting up on the Tuesday, but
if you're not able to, you can come in early on the 13th on
that Wednesday day one to do final bits of setup.
So any time between 8:00 o'clock and 9:30 on that Tuesday.
And I've also seen we'd be sharing an updated delegate
Something.
list.
Yes.
Again, I'm.
I'm put this in the chat as well.
Yes.
So we we shared one delegate list.
Uh, last week when?
Or a couple of weeks ago, when the early bird pricing finished.
But yes, we'll be sending another one next week.
Looks like we will be showing the recording another question
about the recording.
Yes, this recording will be shared with everybody that
registered to attend.
So you'll certainly getting a copy of that.
Please don't worry in that you'll have the links to the two
surveys that I mentioned and then this one.
This is a technical one show and it we can answer this.
Is there a developer kit available to sync with our
systems?
I open app.
Yeah, but she's lost as I have.
Date night.
I'm gonna have to.
I think we're gonna.
We'll, we'll we'll try and find out the answer to that and come
We'll come back.
back to you cause both of us are really that question.
Again, I'm sorry I don't understand the question.
And so we'll figure that one out and we'll get back to you on
that one, Lauren.
So thank you for raising that question.
Thank you.
Umm, what else?
When will the app be available to download?
I mean, technically the the app is UM, it's ready to download.
Now it's event maybe say you can download the app itself, but we
will be there's two lots of of comes we'll be sending on the
app.
There's one set of columns that will be sending to admins for
each company who can go in and upload details about your
company.
They're the ones who can pull off a CSV file of everyone who
you've scanned, so that will be later this week and then next
week will be sharing the.
The general how to how to use and how to download the app.
So those columns are on their way.
Lovely and and then we got.
Great.
Thanks Sean.
Can we have the lead qualifiers and update the the privacy
settings to the lead capture app?
I think these technical questions about the app we're
going to have to come back to you will take a note of them
all.
We'll have a chat with event Mobi and we'll get through.
We'll let you know all of the answers to these slightly
technical questions, OK, and make sure you've got those
answers.
If we can answer them, we will.
Let us do we have a gauge on numbers?
I half and half CEO CIO now it would be that it's very rare for
a university to have CEO.
So it's this is aimed.
This is unashamedly aimed at CIO's, and they're seeing your
leadership team, the CEO of the university will be the Vice
Chancellor.
The some of them have a chief operating officer, but this
event is very much aimed at the CIO's.
Some of them may bring some colleagues from elsewhere in
their executive team, but it's much more likely to be the lead.
The lead CIO and their colleagues from their senior
leadership team. OK.
Numbers are going well though.
Yeah.
Yeah, we've got a good turn out this year.
Yeah, the the the tracking aheads, yeah.
Yeah.
So that we've given a quite a large range between 2:50 to 300,
we'll certainly be at the top end of that range and we know
that already.
And I remember the dreadful for booking at the very last minute.
You know, it really won't be surprising to see those numbers
go up by 50 or 60 in last week because there's an
administrative nightmare, but we love them to pieces.
And so we're never gonna turn them away.
So yeah, we should have a bumper crop this year.
And also everybody loves Edinburgh's.
I always think it's far too far to make everybody travel, but
people absolutely love it, so I'm pretty strong every time we
go to Edinburgh, so hopefully it should be a bumper crop this
year and then nice quote from Vanessa.
Yeah, it was pretty nice and easy to use and I don't know if
you should tailor your own qualifier questions.
There you go.
There's an answer from from someone who knows what they're
talking about.
Thanks.
About Vanessa.
Really helpful.
Could we have a calling number for urgent queries in the coming
days?
The shell is that something we could we could do the honestly
the events email is the better way because that is how and then
if you want to call put your number in the in the email and
people will call you back if that's what what's urgently
required.
But I think otherwise you're gonna find it very, very good,
because we all wrote work remotely, and that's genuinely
the best way to contact the events team.
You've got an urgent query to say, and you say I'd really like
It is.
a call.
Just give a number and people do their best to get back to you if
they can.
OK, I like this.
Any excuse to go to Edinburgh?
Yes, absolutely.
And and again another call for an updated attendee list.
Yes, that's going to be coming very shortly.
Next week.
You look like.
I'm question further do we have consent to communication and I
we we only say the delegate list is only the the name, the job
title and the institution and for this event.
But for all of our events, we don't provide contact
information that's part of our privacy policy.
And to be honest, it's the reason why we have the
reputation that we do have with the institutional members.
They know that we don't.
Share their their information.
So no, we we definitely do not give out contact details you
can.
So the reason for the QR codes on the name badges if you scan,
obviously you have to have consents to scan their QR codes,
but as soon as you scan that QR code then that is your data that
no longer includes the size of privacy policy.
And again, it's because we really don't encourage cold
calling or cold calling, and now that is is is a a call that is
unsolicited.
OK, so they haven't asked you to call them.
That would be classed as a cold call for us.
So really, it's when you're there, ask at the time.
Can I come and see you?
Can I make contact and really agree while you're talking to
the person?
What it is the follow up action is going to be and then you
can't be wrong in making it because you've got their consent
and and that would be helpful.
And then prebooking meetings, well, you can use the app to
reach out to people.
Yes, yes.
I want you, Sean.
Yeah, absolutely.
That is all by the app.
Like I said, there is quite useful set of questions and I
could some things that are basic and some that are less so so
excellent to make sure we've got clarification on all of that.
So we're coming up to time, not a single question from the
floor.
So nobody wants to clarify anything that we talked about.
That's great.
Hope for that means we've been clear.
Obviously, when we do the server, we will also ask you
about the exhibitor briefing and ask whether it was helpful to
you.
I hope just the fact that so many of you could hear it and
hear it clearly and have the chance to go back and watch it
again and think about the things that you've heard will make it
far more useful to you than what we've been doing traditionally.
You know, with me standing up in front of you all and trying to
shout very loudly, but if you do have queries, then do come back
to us.
We're always happy to try that.
Ask and thank you all so much for your support.
We're really looking forward to seeing you all in Edinburgh and
we're gonna have a great conference.
Lots of fun to be had and lots of hard work to be done.
So we're looking forward to seeing you there.
Take good care of everybody.
Absolutely.
And any other questions you know how to reach us?
So please use the events that UCISA email address.
But yeah, look forward to seeing you in three weeks time.
Thank you.