Deborah Meaden gives the Forum her seal of approval
The Forum, one of Europe’s largest investments of 2012 in the conference and events market, has launched in Exeter and heralds the rejuvenation of the South-West as a conference destination.
The £48million capital investment programme, funded by the University of Exeter has resulted in a benchmark facility. The Forum draws together three core differentiators: progressive technology, uncompromising sustainability measures, and award winning catering under its iconic gridshell roof.
The Forum will bolster Event Exeter’s existing meetings, exhibition and events offering, making it one of the UK’s largest and most technically adept destination venues, with onsite accommodation for up to 1200 delegates.
The Forum’s two year build process has created a 400 capacity auditorium, 12 seminar rooms with the capacity of 25 featuring a flexible walling system, and 2 cutting edge Exploration Laboratories. The Forum also boasts expansive networking areas, with the Street accommodating up to 40 exhibition stands and a contemporary landscaped outdoor piazza.
An investment of over £500,000 in technology makes the Forum one of the most advanced venues in the European market with built in AV including:
- Echo 360, live conference capture, which enables speakers to record their sessions and presentations
- a state of the art assisted reverberation system enhancing the acoustics of the auditorium
- 350 lumens projectors with cinema scope aspect ratio
- audio mixing desks for up to 30 microphones
- edge blended projection
- a visualiser
- double screen video conferencing
- digital signage meaning that keynote sessions in the main auditorium can be streamed to other rooms or used by sponsors
Seating in the auditorium has been specially designed to facilitate group discussions with fully rotational seats; each seat is also individually networked with data and power sockets.
In a first for UK universities, the Forum offers two Exploration Laboratories. The first offers ten 65-inch computerised learning ‘surface tables’ with state of the art touch-screen technology, allowing delegates to research, share and present their work within small groups, or by using the Windows based technology as a collective. Adjoined is a Harvard style Laboratory offering 60 tablet PCs alongside video conferencing facilities designed with exploratory learning in mind.
The Forum also assists in fulfilling CSR credentials, as the environmental impact of the Forum building was minimised through its design and methodology:
- Construction materials have been re-used and recycled where possible
- Green Guide ‘A’ rated materials have been incorporated at every opportunity
The building fabric and glazing used in the Forum has achieved a level of thermal performance 10% better than that required by building regulations set to deliver a serious reduction in energy use and CO2 emissions.
The Forum’s cutting edge learning facilities will complement Event Exeter’s established offering, with the Italianate traditions of the grade II listed all year round conference venue Reed Hall and the large scale exhibition spaces in the Peter Chalk centre.
Day Delegate Rates are from £36.95 and accommodation is available for up to 1200 delegates.
Deborah Meaden, respected business woman who was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Exeter Business School said, “The Forum is an important addition to the University of Exeter. Not just in terms of what it offers students but the wider opportunities it affords by drawing high yielding business events to the local area. This new facility underlines the University’s drive in being the best in the world for education and knowledge.”
Sarah Snow, Assistant Director Campus Services (Sales & Events), University of Exeter, commented: “The University of Exeter is recognised as one of the great beacons of learning and we are delighted that we can bring this to the corporate market with the development of the Forum. We have built a facility that is at the forefront of technology, facilitating exploratory learning for delegates.”
The Forum was officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen on May 2nd 2012.
