SUMS Annual Conference 2024
The SUMS Annual Conference is back for 2024! We will be exploring the ultimate balancing act: Cutting costs, driving growth.
Date: 14 November 2024
Time: 10:00 – 16:30, followed by a drinks reception
Location: Woburn House, London
Join us at this year’s SUMS Consulting Annual Conference, where the theme is ‘The Ultimate Balancing Act: cutting costs, driving growth’. This essential event for higher education leaders will delve into innovative strategies to navigate the financial pressures facing the sector.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with peers, gain insights from industry leaders, and contribute to the future of higher education. Last year’s conference was a sell out, so book early to avoid disappointment.
Tickets available now!
SUMS members
As part of your SUMS Consulting membership we are delighted to offer you complimentary tickets for you and two colleagues from your institution. Visit our event website to find out more and register your place now!
We want as many of our members as possible to attend the SUMS conference, so please join our waiting list if you already have 3 registered delegates from your institution. We’ll be in touch if space is made available!
Non-member HEIs
Professionals from non-member Higher Education Institutions are welcome to book tickets for the conference. Please register here with your finance details and we will invoice you £120 + VAT in advance of the conference. Please note, the SUMS Annual Conference is for HEIs only.
Sponsors and Exhibitors
We are offering you the chance to join our exclusive early bird list. Be the first to receive information on our 2024 sponsorship packages!
Why SUMS Consulting?
Headline Sponsor package
Drinks Reception Sponsor package
Exhibitor package
Here’s a snippet of what we got up to last year…
Did you miss out on the biggest SUMS Annual Conference to date last year? Good news!
Previous SUMS Annual Conferences
The SUMS Annual Conference 2023: The university of the future
Our SUMS conference 2023 was the biggest and best yet! We welcomed our Keynote speaker Professor Ken Sloan, Vice-Chancellor at Harper Adams University, who took us on an adventure into the future, exploring the mission and purpose of universities. We travelled in time with our digital expert,Principal Consultant Lucy Dixon, as we considered the digital evolution of universities and our expert panel joined SUMS Managing Director Joel Arber to debate the future of university funding.
Break-out sessions and the ‘SUMS Solution Room ‘ were an opportunity for our delegates to join our consultants in engaging and collaborative sessions to tackle current and future challenges.
What’s the focus?
The Higher Education sector in 2023 may feel as if it is facing a perfect storm of funding uncertainty, inflationary pressures, increased competition and a challenging regulatory environment. But future trends point to growing domestic and global demand for university education and a major role for our institutions to play in solving global challenges through original research. The path to 2050 is also paved with technological revolution and societal change.
The SUMS Consulting Annual Conference will look into the crystal ball to discover the university of the future. Our exciting programme will consider the changes that universities will need to make – across the dimensions of people, systems, processes and leadership – to adapt and thrive in this brave new world.
SUMS Annual Conference 2022: The sustainable university
Our 2022 conference was a focused day of discussion – highlighting best practices from the UK and overseas – as we explored how senior leaders can create and grow sustainable universities fit for today and tomorrow.
Climate Emergency, Net Zero and the University Conundrum
Our Keynote Speaker: Professor Craig Mahoney, The Education Group (TEG) London
This presentation explored how universities can respond to the sustainability needs of their institution, the requirements of national governments and the expectations of a social media-savvy, connected younger population that want their world to be a better place.
Promising the Earth: will universities be able to deliver on their carbon commitments?
Our panel of experts debated the best approaches to achieve carbon reduction goals – galvanising the passionate support of our student and staff communities – without compromising other strategic priorities, such as financial sustainability and internationalisation.
Sustainable data-driven decision-making for the physical and digital estate: enhancing the user experience
This interactive session explored how data- and technology-led relationship management can streamline engagement processes, improving community experience while cutting waste and cost for universities.
How the other half works: looking beyond the UK HE sector to deliver change and long-term sustainability through people strategies
This interactive session explored best practice approaches within the UK and US HE sectors. The session discussed the elements that can support universities of all sizes to leverage the power of their people to deliver long-term environmental and financial sustainability.
The Law of Diminishing Returns: how can universities diversify income and cut costs to stay in the black?
Our panel discussed the challenges of maintaining a financially healthy university from a range of perspectives.
Interested in SUMS Consulting’s events?