What you need to think about

The Conference and Events team work closely with the internal IT teams to arrange support for your event. The equipment in our lecture theatres and seminar rooms can vary and it is worth considering what equipment and support you may need, if our internal IT team are not able to support your needs we will work with University approved suppliers to find a solution. Things to consider are:

• Whether there will be a requirement for panel discussions or Q&A sessions?
• Live streaming?
• Technician support?

You will need administrative support to organise and deliver your event.  The Conference and Events team provide the following service…  (add PDF registration)

• What additional support will you need?
• Who will provide this support.
• You must consider if there are any cost implications.
• Student support is available through Jobs4Students, but the cost will need to be factored into the conference budget.
• Don’t under estimate how much support you will need on the day – servicing the registration desk and for general help during registration and the conference i.e. managing the flow of delegates between breaks and cloakroom, photocopying etc.
• The Conference and Events team can provide a range of additional event management services, which are charged according to requirements.

• Will you need space for an exhibition (shell scheme or free standing?) or poster board displays?
• How many stands/poster boards will there be?
• Will you need power for the exhibitors?
• You also need to consider your catering requirements and delegate numbers as part of the mix.

Manchester Metropolitan University is proud of its diverse community of staff, students and visitors. We are committed to creating a positive environment where everybody is treated with dignity and respect.  To ensure that everyone can reach their full potential, and individuals are not subject to less favourable treatment, this guide provides information for organisers to take into consideration during the planning of any event, to ensure that all events are inclusive for all participants.

• Guide to Planning Inclusive Events
• Costings

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan

A PEEP must be completed on behalf of a visitor requiring assistance in the event of an emergency and returned to the Campus Services Team Leader for the buildings your visitor will be entering. You should familiarise yourself with the building emergency evacuation details prior to the event.

Risk Assessment

To comply with Health and Safety legislation, if you are undertaking a conference/event where there might be a risk to other people attending the event, you must conduct a risk assessment detailing the hazards associated with your activities and how those hazards will be removed or reduced to ensure the safety of people participating in your event eg if your conference involves dance activity, staging, banners etc

In the case of exhibition activity, each exhibitor will be expected to supply the person responsible for organising the exhibition with an individual risk assessment, and the exhibition organiser must provide a detailed risk assessment including an overview of the entire exhibition.

Activity within specialist facilities will have different risks associated with it than standard events. A risk assessment will be needed to fulfill licence agreement requirements.

Public Liability Insurance

External providers of equipment and services relating to exhibitions, filming, photography etc. will be expected to provide Public Liability Insurance cove of £5 million. As this is the minimum level at Manchester Met, a request for a reduction on this would need to be referred to the Insurance Officer in the Legal Department.

Children on Campus

To ensure the safety, welfare and protection of children and young persons on University premises and to ensure the University meets its legal responsibilities you must comply with the supervisory standards laid out in the Terms and Conditions.

What are your hospitality plans? Contact the Conference and Events team for a menu or we can provide bespoke menus for your event.

It is expected that expenditure on Catering is kept within the University, in order to ensure the service is sustainable throughout the year. Food supplied to or delivered within and by Manchester Met has to be produced, stored, handled and transported to the highest standards of hygiene to meet the requirements of the Food Safety Act 1990. The reputation of the University may be compromised if this is not adhered to. 

To help attract as many delegates as possible to your event, it is important that people know about it in good time to inform their planning and budgets and so they can add the dates to their diaries.  

Do you have a marketing and promotions plan?  You will need to think about:

• Target audience
• Promotion – online, media, print, word of mouth
• Budget
• Roles and responsibilities

Your Marketing and Web officers will be useful points of contact for creating a webpage for your event and helping you create print materials etc.

The Conference and Events team will also support the promotion of the event by sharing news and information through the following channels:

• Conference and Events News and Events website pages
• Conference and Events social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook
• Manchester Met’s Events list
• ManMetLife
• Marketing Manchester 
• Marketing Cheshire