The Showcase is being held at the University of Nottingham’s East Midlands Conference Centre on 2 September, with a site tour and hospitality options in the afternoon and evening of 1 September. The event is open to the whole AUDE membership. Please note due to venue capacity, there will be limited places available. Early booking is advised.
This page will be updated regularly with speaker and session information. Please note, details could be subject to change.
Meet at Orchard Hotel Reception ahead of the start time.The following locations will be covered in the tour:
Atrium, East Midlands Conference Centre
Welcome address from Syd Cottle, Director of Estates and Infrastructure, University of Liverpool and AUDE Chair and Jane Harrison-White, Executive Director, AUDE.
Concourse, East Midlands Conference Centre
Concourse, East Midlands Conference Centre
Concourse, East Midlands Conference Centre
Banqueting Suite, East Midlands Conference Centre
East Midlands Conference Centre
Speaker:
Banqueting Suite, East Midlands Conference Centre
Banqueting Suite, East Midlands Conference Centre
Speaker:
Banqueting Suite, East Midlands Conference Centre
‘Rightsizing’ - a contemporary word for an age-old task. In a period when the operating costs of our estates are rising fast – in energy, in insurance, and in many other categories – increasing numbers of universities are seeing a mismatch between the space they have available to deliver their core outputs of teaching and research, the value they gain from that space in comparison to the costs of running it, and the utilisation rate of campus space, which can seem poor when compared to ‘commercial world norms’. At a point when the financial viability of the sector is under scrutiny, and we measure cost in carbon as well as cash, ‘rightsizing’ as a concept examines all the things we are doing and should be doing to shift our campuses towards ‘the right size’ – where current income, growth aspirations, cost and long-term value are all aligned.
How do we work with academic functions towards a greater shared understanding of the costs of maintaining underused buildings? Are we translating data into actionable estates strategy? How are different universities around the country facing up to asset disposal, the harsh realities of attracting international students, shrinking maintenance budgets – and the many other elements that feed into this theme?
Speakers:
Facilitated by Syd Cottle, Director of Estates and Infrastructure, University of Liverpool and AUDE Chair.
Banqueting Suite, East Midlands Conference Centre
Banqueting Suite, East Midlands Conference Centre
This workshop will focus on a summary of the guide and its purpose, with the chance to ask questions from the lead team and opportunity to share learning with others who are adopting the guide.
Speakers:
Conference Suite 3, East Midland Conference Centre
Speaker details to be announced shortly.
Conference Suite 1, East Midland Conference Centre
This workshop will focus on:
Reintroducing AUDESAT for Estates Leadership: The workshop will unveil the refreshed AUDE Self-Assessment Toolkit (AUDESAT), redesigned to reflect current challenges in higher education estates management. It introduces a more intuitive, digital-first platform that supports directors in evaluating operational maturity, benchmarking performance, and identifying strategic priorities.
Hands-On Exploration of the New Toolkit: Attendees will engage with the updated question hierarchy, scoring methodology, and visual benchmarking tools. The session will demonstrate how the toolkit supports estate audits, rationalisation strategies, and 100-day turnaround plans for new directors.
Driving Sector-Wide Improvement Through Data and Collaboration: The workshop will highlight how AUDESAT enables consistent good practice across institutions, fosters peer comparison, and supports AUDE’s ambition to become a centre of excellence in estates thinking. It will also explore opportunities for members to contribute to future toolkit iterations.
Speakers:
Conference Suite 2, East Midland Conference Centre
Banqueting Suite, East Midlands Conference Centre
An interactive workshop of the AUDE Cleaning Benchmark Report 2025 of HE institutions, focusing on cost, quality, and resource use.
Key learnings from across the sector and how it compares to other sectors including best-in-class practices, and service delivery models.
Strategic Actions: Recommended improvements in staffing, scheduling, and innovation to drive value and standards.
Speakers:
Conference Suite 3, East Midland Conference Centre
Martyns Law obtained Royal Assent on the 3rd April 2025. The implementation period will last 24 months before the Act comes into force. Guidance will be published during the 24 month period to look at the requirements of the Act and be done in a way that is easy to follow and is suggested that the use of third parties or expertise will be required to follow the guidance. This workshop will look at the definition of who will fall within the scope of the Act and what consideration University's should look to be undertaking over the 24 month period in preparation for the Act.
Speakers:
Conference Suite 1, East Midland Conference Centre
The workshop will focus on the 6 levels to successful digitisation, checklists for managing the digitisation journey and lessons learnt from industry and practice.
Speakers:
Conference Suite 2, East Midland Conference Centre
Banqueting Suite, East Midlands Conference Centre
The workshop will focus on making the EMR Data work for you, developing appropriate space and cost metrics to assess institutional performance and guidance on using the EMR as a tool, evidence and leverage to support estate decision making.
Speakers:
Conference Suite 3, East Midland Conference Centre
Speaker:
Conference Suite 1, East Midland Conference Centre
This workshop will focus on:
Speakers:
Conference Suite 2, East Midland Conference Centre
Banqueting Suite, East Midlands Conference Centre
Closing address and final opportunity to network with colleagues.
Speakers:
Banqueting Suite, East Midlands Conference Centre