LAI/CILIP Joint Annual Conference 2019
10-11 April 2019
Killashee Hotel, Co Kildare
CASE STUDY
Conference Organisers planned and implemented the LAI/CILIP Annual Conference at the Killashee Hotel in Kildare on 10-11 April 2019 on behalf of our client, The Library Association of Ireland, in conjunction with the Chartered Institute Library & Information Professional (CILIP) Ireland.
The organising committee issued a call for papers under the ‘inclusive libraries’ theme, asking library staff from across Ireland to submit proposals for papers. The call was very well received across the library sector, which resulted in a very engaging, energetic and interesting programme of papers and posters.
The conference began with a keynote address from international speaker Erik Boekesteijn, Senior Advisor at the National Library of the Netherlands. The second keynote was Rosie Jones, Director of Student and Library Services at Teeside University in England, and the third and final keynote of the conference was delivered by Traci Lesneski from the US-based architecture firm MSR.
The conference also included a lively exhibition for Sponsors and Exhibitors, as well as a conference dinner which was attended by the Mayor and Chief Executive of Kildare City.
SNAPSHOT
Wednesday 10th April | |
|---|---|
Thusaday 11th April | |
STATISTICS
Date – 10 & 11 April 2019
Venue – Killashee Hotel, Naas, Co Kildare
167 registrations in total
29 Sponsors / Exhibitors
56 Speakers and 12 Chairs
12 Posters
Accommodation booking for delegates and speakers
Welcome Reception and Conference Dinner
The programme included 3 Keynote Speakers and 4 Breakout Sessions consisting of 2 parallel streams each, bringing together key members of the sector.
Volunteers were trained prior to the conference and on-hand to assist in the breakout rooms during the parallel sessions.
Tea and coffee were served prior to the conference start on both days, encouraging delegates to arrive early, ensuring early attendance as not all delegates were staying onsite overnight.
We assembled the conference team, including the AV technicians and venue staff, the evening before the conference and conducted a full run-through of logistics.
We also finalised the Sponsors set up and redesigned some areas of the catering workflow to expand the networking opportunities for Sponsors.
EXHIBITION
Twenty-nine organisations took part in the exhibition. The exhibitors were Irish and international companies, as well as educational institutions.
As part of our agreement with the client, we contacted the exhibitors and sponsors and discussed in detail their goals and expectations. Our Account Manager was then tasked with ensuring their objectives were met satisfactorily. To further support them we also served all refreshments and lunch in the exhibition area, maximising their engagement opportunities.
KEY OUTCOMES
Increased networking and exposure for the Library Association of Ireland and CILIP Ireland as well as for Sponsors and Exhibitors
Delegates attended from across Europe, the UK and the United States of America
Comprehensive programme including:
3 keynote presentations
4 Breakout Sessions including 24 presentations/panels
Poster Exhibition and ‘best poster’ prizes
Full exhibition including 29 stands, Sponsor presentations and Sponsor Quiz
Social media coverage
ATTENDEE FEEDBACK
“I thought this year’s conference was really well organised. I was very impressed with the care taken to provide me with a hearing device so that I could hear the speakers…”
“Mainly congrats on an excellently organised conference. The time-keeping was great. I loved the supplier quiz and really valued hearing from all library sectors”