Event Management: Oxford London Lecture

Project

The University holds lots of lectures in Oxford that feature academics working at Oxford as well as many distinguished visitors. We wanted to launch a new high-profile lecture to showcase our cutting-edge research, and the light it casts on global challenges in the 21st century, to the widest possible audience.

We decided to establish a new annual lecture to be held outside Oxford which would aim to connect a wide audience with research emerging from the University, showing how that research is immediately relevant to topics of significant public importance. This prestigious lecture series was to be launched in London, though it is not city specific.

Communications solution

We consulted with colleagues across the collegiate University in developing the concept for this new initiative. Once the concept was agreed, the Vice-Chancellor invited Professor Peter Donnelly, Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics and Professor of Statistical Science, to be the inaugural speaker. A panel of experts was chosen to explore in more depth, after the lecture, some of the issues raised.

A project team, with expertise from the Press Office, Publications and Web Office, Media Production Unit and the Events Office and led by the Head of Government and Community Relations, was established and this team developed a comprehensive communications plan. The Publications Team developed an identity for the lecture that worked with the general branding toolkit for the University and produced a suite of print materials, including an invitation, ticketing and a brochure for guests attending the event. The Web Team developed a website to provide information about the event and to sell tickets. Similar information was made available on Twitter and iTunes U. The Financial Times became our media partner for the lecture. The Events Team liaised with the London venue and oversaw the logistics for staging the event, distributing tickets to the general public and Oxford alumni, inviting a specialist audience including ministers, parliamentarians, health sector professionals and charities, as well as students from a number of London schools. Our AV experts liaised with the venue about the sound and recording for the lecture and discussion. The Head of Government and Community Relations oversaw the complete project, liaising with the speaker, the panel and the FT.

Results

The inaugural Oxford London Lecture was held on 1 February 2011 at Church House in Westminster. Over 500 people attended the lecture and many thousand accessed the lecture via its website. A post-event survey of attendees generated a good response and feedback was used as part of the event evaluation which informed planning for the second Oxford London Lecture, which was held on 13 March 2012.