Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Leeds Beckett graduations win gold
The 2016 EVCOM Awards took place on Friday 18 November at Supernova, London. In collaboration with Ashfield Meetings and Events (SPARK THINKING), who support our Graduations, the University was awarded gold in the Public Event category.
The judges cited the unique transformation of the University’s buildings and grounds at Headingley Campus as a key factor in the success. The temporary adaptation of the space was considered an innovative and unique approach that allowed students and their families to celebrate their academic achievements in a purpose-built environment that delivered a sense of community.
Tracy Commons, Associate Director - Commercial Marketing and Engagement at Leeds Beckett, said: “It is a real achievement for our ceremonies to have been recognised through this accolade. Working with SPARK THINKING, we were able to celebrate the success of our graduating students with their friends and families and fulfil our objectives as we continue to support our alumni community in the next stage of their lives.”
Graham Lord, Production Lead at SPARK THINKING, commented: “We had a great night at Supernova celebrating our joint success. EVCOM and the venue put on a fantastic event and it was the icing on the cake to receive the gold honour. A lot of our focus in delivering the graduation ceremonies is on creating an immersive experience not only for the students but for their families and the different stakeholder communities. Having Leeds Beckett University with us on the evening to collect the award showcases our continued partnership.”
Comprising 12 ceremonies over four days, our 2016 Graduation was our most successful to date, also being shortlisted in the Educational Event category of the DRUM UK Event Awards, the results of which will be announced in London on Thursday 1 December.
More than 15,000 attendees celebrated the graduation of 4,901 students between 25 and 28 July this summer, either within the auditorium itself or via our live streaming service. Joining our graduands in their celebrations were 630 academic staff and 13 honorary award recipients, including Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis OBE, award-winning radio DJ Stephanie Hirst, and cricketing legend Jason Gillespie.
In a survey about their experience, 95 per cent of students said their expectations of graduation were met, with a third (36.6%) feeling that their expectations had been exceeded.
Each of our ceremonies was filmed and live-streamed online; whilst our alumni team’s Instagram picture frame and seven-foot ‘2016’ installation, and our Communications team’s drone video footage, proved to be hits on social media.