London Met SPANC19 Bid

LONDON MET’S BID TO HOST

#SPANC19 April 24 - 25 3

Why Us?

“

London Metropolitan University is the perfect place to host SPANC19 and I support our bid to put on this year’s event whole-heartedly. We are an incredibly diverse institution and have the luxury of being in central London, which means we can attract dynamic, diverse guest speakers from a variety of different disciplines to take part in the event. I am confident that the Students’ Union, which has organised large conferences in the past, along with our excellent Journalism department will do SPANC19 proud. Our Journalism programme is on the cutting edge of both teaching and technology, producing journalists who are as capable of working in print and data as they are in broadcast and online. It’s all part of why we are Proud to be London Met!” 2

Lynn Dobbs

Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive

CONTENTS From the Vice-Chancellor................... 2 Contents ............................................. 3 Welcome to London Met ................... 4 Celebrate Diversity............................. 5 Planning Gurus ................................... 6 Location and facilities ........................ 8 Accommodation ................................. 10 Catering............................................... 11 Verve.................................................... 12 Students’ Union.................................. 13 Potential guest speakers.................... 14 11 reasons to love London Met........... 16 Budget................................................. 18 Entertainment .................................... 19 Endorsements..................................... 20

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Welcome to London Met L

newsroom for future hacks, and a completing their degree. ondon Metropolitan University is Bloomberg room where finance students It also lends us to a wide range of a diverse community made up of can utilise real Bloomberg data. In inspirational individuals. We often host inspiring and determined students, addition, we have recently invested over motivating guest speakers, who can teachers and innovative thinkers. £30 million in creating one of the largest share their industry experience with our We are based in the heart of one and most advanced science of the world’s most centres in Europe. exciting capital cities and Our guest speakers share industry experience We are rightly proud of surrounded by some our University, and would of the most influential with our students and also give them insight love the opportunity to organisations in the into what they can achieve after they graduate show others how unique, country. Our convenient warm and welcoming we location allows our students and give them an insight into are, and how much we can offer students students to gain first-hand experience what they can achieve after graduating. interested in journalism and the media. in their chosen fields, with many of Our University is home to state-ofWe are confident that as you read on them undertaking internships at major the-art facilities, including one of the you’ll agree that London Met is the ideal corporations and prestigious local and national news organisations whilst best Cisco labs in London, a world-class place to host SPANC19!

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Celebrate our

diversity with us

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t London Met, we pride ourselves on our diversity and inclusiveness.

Our student body is made up of 146 distinct nationalities, providing our students with an enriching environment where they can learn from their peers and broaden their cultural understanding, as well as their academic knowledge.

More than half of our students - 60.1 percent - come from Black or ethnic minority backgrounds, and 97.2% of the

young, full-time, undergraduate students who enrolled in 2016–17 were from state schools or colleges. Another 51.1 percent were aged 25 or older when they became London Met students, meaning that they come equipped with a wealth of diverse experience outside of uni as well.

Our diverse students, coupled with the fact that we are located in the nation’s

capital, means we offer an unparalleled experience to students from other unis. We have access to the country’s top speakers and can provide the best workshops. Choose London Met!

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Our Planning Gurus CHIEF GURU

CATERING GURU

COMMS GURU

Aaron Patel

Emily Wilkinson

Emma Wynne

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s the editor of Verve Magazine, I believe that the chance to host the SPA awards is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for London Met. Not only will our own students benefit, but being in the heart of the capital will provide an exciting prospect for fellow universities. We are looking forward to not only giving everyone the best time ever, with informative and meaningful workshops and speakers, but also showcasing our fantastic Journalism department. Once you visit us, you’ll understand why we’re Proud to Be London Met!

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his year, having become Deputy Editor of Verve, I am excited at the prospect of taking on a event outside of this role. The event would show off our University, which loves to embrace diversity in all possible ways. I am confident we will make it a showstopper of an event. Our beautiful Great Hall seats 160 people and dates back to 1896 – it was restored to its original glory in 2015 and looks better than ever, although it has maintained its original integrity.

And our Rocket Bar, dedicated on-site canteen and cafes, means you’ll be spoilt for choice. C’mon over!

’m a London Met Journalism graduate currently working as an Account Executive at a PR Agency. Prior to this, I completed a six-month placement at the European Parliament and an internship in PR and Internal Communications at London Met. As journalism is something that I am extremely passionate about, I am thoroughly excited about the opportunity to promote and be part of an event that brings together student journalists from across the country. We will work hard to bring you the best SPANC ever!

BOOKINGS/ACCOM. BUDGETARY GURU GURU

Richie Hancox

ENTERTAINMENT GURU

Hanna-Liisa Leppanen Julia Johnson

Monika Marjomaa

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ince starting as a photographer for Verve Media, I have been constantly impressed with the team’s dedication and enthusiasm in producing a complete and quality magazine. I know this professionalism will extend to SPANC19, which would be fantastic for both attendees and the University. London is a city that many national and international agencies and publications call home, and holding SPANC here would let everyone experience the busy city life and atmosphere we see every day.

s a first-year journalism student, I am very excited to work behind the scenes to put on SPANC19.

With the connections that can be made, and guest speakers sharing their experiences, it will be an amazing experience for future journalists. As we all know, journalists are colleagues, regardless of publisher and focus, and SPANC19 brings both professionals and students together to create a powerful network of support. There is no better place to host the event than London, a city of different cultures and stories.

ondon is home to everything – great food, great culture, great entertainment. We’re eager for a chance to prove that, and there’s no place better to experience the real, diverse London than at London Met. We promise to show everyone a great time with a variety of events, ranging from talent shows to discos to a chance to try out a karaoke night in our student bar. There’ll be something for everyone if you choose London Met!

ENTERTAINMENT GURU

s a BA Journalism student and a contributor at Verve magazine, I’m excited to meet other student journalists and make sure that SPANC19 will be the best ever. Our location in London gives us access to all the entertainment the city has to offer and our university’s event venues are great for socializing. On top of amazing workshops, speakers and awards, we’ll be organising networking opportunities, where you can make connections that will last a lifetime.

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Location and facilities

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ondon Met is located in what is arguably the business “London Met is perfectly and cultural centre of Europe. When it comes to museequipped to meet the needs ums, restaurants, art galleries, clubs and parks, you are of SPANC19” spoilt for choice. In addition, our University is located directly across the road from the Holloway Road tube station, on the Piccadilly line, and from here you can get to central London in about 12 minutes. We also have a number of bus and Overground links and we’re not far from airports and several railway stations, making us one of the most accessible campuses in the country.

Our facilities are also stupendous. Our Great Hall (see right) seats 160 people and has its own dedicated bar, and is the epitome of nostalgic excellence. Our Rocket Bar serves food and drinks, and with its many pool tables and comfortable couches it’s a fantastic student hang-out. We have two newly revamped on-site eateries - the Highbury Canteen and The Junction, where you can grab a meal or a snack.

In addition, we have many newly renovated lounging areas to just have a sit-down and rest your weary feet.

The University has also invested more than £7 million in the Roding Building, which has state-of-the-art, hi-tech lecture facilities, with one of the biggest continous Nureva Wallspan screens in Europe. Roding is modern and comfortable, with 11 event rooms and breakout spaces across three floors, including collaboration rooms, ideation rooms, seminar rooms and IT suites. Along with our other lecture halls throghout the uni, you’ll find London Met to be a comfortable place perfectly equipped to meet the needs of SPANC19.

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Accommodation L

ondon Met is a cosmopolitan campus, with no on-site halls. What we do have, however, is a plethora of affordable accommodation to choose from in the capital for our SPANC19 delegates . And with incredible transport links literally right on our doorstep, what more could you want?

Here is a selection - all prices for April 2019, including VAT - as of November, 2018.

LSE Rosebery Hall: Located just one mile from islington, this clean, comfortable hotel is just £35 per person, including breakfast.

Easy Hotel Old Street. Just a short bus ride away, this hotel charges £23 a night for accommodation - not a bad deal!

Travel Lodge London Farringdon. Also located in Islington, this nice, clean chain charges £60 for a double room.

In addition, we might be able to do group bookings at the Premier Inn London Archway. This brand new hotel is just a 12-minute direct bus ride from London Met and will charge £45 pp for a shared room in April.

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Pemier Inn London Archway

Catering

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ondon Met’s catering team is happy to provide two lunches on the days of April 24th and 25th.

We would also provide a hot meal, with cash bar, on the evening of the 24th as part of the Awards Ceremony.

The Students’ Union owns tablecloths, decorations and other awards decor to make this a memorable event at reduced cost to the delegates. The SU can also provide hot drinks such as tea and coffee throughout the conference.

London Met is centrally located and there are numerous cafes, restaurants and bars within walking distance, including a Pret a Manger, Nando’s, Subway, and McDonald’s, along with independent cafes. A Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose are jsut a short walk away.

The Junction, the London Met onsite cafe, will be open during the conference as well. Students can buy a tasty breakfast there or in one of the many establishments outside the uni, at a very afforable price.

MENU

Bronze Working Lunch: £5.25 per person, including VAT Selection of choice sandwiches and filled wraps, to include egg salad, cheese, bacon and tomato, tuna and more A choice of crisps Garnish Mineral water and fruit juice

Awards Dinner: Hot fork buffet with choice of two main dishes, £20 per person, including VAT Pan fried supreme of chicken with herb and sundried tomato sauce (m) Lamb tagine (m) Roasted vegetables lasagne (v) Spinach and lentil korma (v) Baked Pollock florentine with a creamy cheese sauce (f) Harissa spiced grilled mackerel (f) Served with freshly baked bread rolls and butter Selection of cakes Fruit platter Open bar (at cost per drink)

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erve Magazine is proud to host the SPA Conference, and we know that we will do you proud. We have a small staff but our size doesn’t really matter. We are hard-working and we produce a highy-quality product four times a year. In fact, we’ve been short-listed for an SPA award in the past!

Verve is a student-led publication concentrating on things that matter to our students. We cover everything from current issues, features, lifestyle, sport and, of course, entertainment. We’re proud of the fact that a few years ago we struggled to get issues out, but we have grown and now have a dedicated staff of real student professionals.

Hosting SPANC19 would be the icing on the cake for our team, which works hard year-round to produce the most professional magazine ever.

Verve Magazine, Verve Radio and Verve TV make up our SU’s vibrant student media hub. Students are encouraged to get involved, hone their journalistic skills and make a name for themselves. With so many people on board with a wide range of skills, we have a load of London Met students who are more than willing to help out.

Verve is supported by the London Met Journalism department, and there is a full-time staff member - Wendy Sloane - who is available to contact. We also have a dedicated SU staff member, Sophie Bines, who will give her full commitment and support to making SPANC19 the best possible conference. She is the first point of contact when Wendy is up to her eyeballs teaching.

Past issues of Verve magazine, which has been shortlisted for an SPA award

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Students’ Union L ondon Met boasts a diverse and active Students’ Union, which provides a wide range of services, societies and activities that our students can enjoy during their time at the University. The LMSU is actively behind our bid for SPANC19.

Students can meet like-minded individuals, learn new skills, and boost their employment options at one of our fun and inclusive societies or sports teams. Whether computer enthusiasts,

“The Students’ Union is excited to host SPANC19 and we’ll make the event the best it’s ever been” Sophie Bines football fanatics or aspiring MPs, our SU has something or everyone.

Our SU prides itself on being a democratic, independent organisation that supports our students throughout their academic journeys. Our Sabbatical Team are dedicated and enthusiastic, and commited to making London Met the best place possible for students throughout their time here. Our new state-of-the-art SU building is the ideal place for SPANC delegates to chill out and play FIFA on Playstation4.

To reach our dedicated SU contact person, contact Sophie Bines, Comms Associate, on 020 7133 4171.

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Potential Guest Speakers

Samantha Booth REPORTER

Islington Tribune and Camden New Journal “Writing for a local audience”

Rachael Oldroyd DEPUTY HEAD, BUREAU FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

“Using data journalism in your reporting”

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Joel Chernin FORMER DIGITAL ART DIRECTOR

Sally Freestone JOURNALIST

Simon Hattenstone FEATURE WRITER

Fiona Rutherford SOCIAL NEWS DESK EDITOR

James Conrad Williams, FORMER DEPUTY EDITOR, GLAMOUR

Jamie Coomarasamy BBC CORRESPONDENT

Hello Magazine “The future of digital magazines”

Bloomberg “How we deal with fake news at Bloomberg”

Rory Peck Trust “Women’s voices in journalism”

“Making the perfect brand”

Guardian “Finding the perfect target audience”

“Increasing diversity in media coverage”

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reasons to

LOVE

London Met

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London Met is home to exceptional facilities that our students can utilise during their time here, including our new £30 million Science Centre.

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Our vibrant, multi-ethnic and diverse student community. With 146 nationalities studying with us, we’ve been ranked ninth out of all universities in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand for diversity

by Hotcourses Abroad.

Our excellent location in the heart of the capital, which provides our students with a multitude of networking and professional opportunities.

Our dedication to employability. London Met helps students achieve their goals and succeed in their careers, which is why our undergraduate courses involve some form of work-related learning.

We often invite a wide range of industry experts to come to the University and share their knowledge and advice with our students.

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London Met has access to excellent transport links.

Central London can be reached within 20 minutes by tube - and it’s right across the road!

We are home to a dynamic Student’s Union, providing a wide range of support to students.

Alumni visit to inspire our students and inform them about where their degrees can take them.

Many of our courses have a hands-on approach, which allows students to learn about the working environment and to put their skills to the test before they embark on their career journeys.

Many of our lecturers have years of industry experience and are therefore able to best prepare our students for work in their chosen fields.

Our university is home to excellent student support services, for advice about a range of topics to make student life even better.

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Budget We investigated the cost of a weekend SPANC19 as opposed to a weekday. The weekend cost was significantly higher, due to security and extra staff outside of London Met’s usual opening hours. So we decided to go with Wednesday and Thursday.

COSTS ARE AS FOLLOWS: VENUE Rocket Bar on Wednesday evening Great Hall rental on Wednesday evening Technicians and security for the Awards ceremony Open bar until midnight

£2,000

The Rocket, the Great Hall and the Roding Building room bookings have all been confirmed.

CATERING £1,575 for lunch x 2 for 150 people £3,000 for dinner for 150 people £4,575 DECOR £50 DEEJAY £150 TEA AND COFFEE (BULK) £100 ENTERTAINMENT £200 Technician set-up

ROOM BOOKINGS FREE

COMBINED TOTAL

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£7,075

Cost per ticket:

£48

Entertainment W hat better place to celebrate than London - and what better place than London Met?

Our university is a great locale for students to network, have a drink or two, and make great contacts that will set them up for future work. Our Rocket Bar is the perfect environment to grab a beer or a cocktail, and it can also be the venue for a planned Karaoke night, or even a ‘Journalists Got Talent’ celebration. We hope to plan some special evenings you’ll remember in years to come.

The Awards venue is right above the bar, so it lends itself nicely to celebrations after the awards night, boasting a deejay and a place to dance in the after-party. A themed night might not go amiss...

We have held many Awards ceremonies in our Great Hall, which is the ideal set-up for this type of event. Built in 1896, it was the centrepiece of what was then the Northern Polytechnic Institute.

A landmark building on a proud, late-Victorian Holloway Road, it was re-opened in 2015 after undergoing full restoration back to its former glory. When our student journalists are enjoying a drink or two (or three), they probably won’t even be aware that in darker times the Hall sheltered over 1,000 Londoners from Zeppelin air raids during WW1.

Our professio nal lighting, sound systems and purpose-buil t stage will add to th e ambiance o f the Awards nigh t.

Endorsements We have received the following endorsements from this great bunch of folk, who are fully committed to us hosting SPANC19 and are definitely on board!

Lynn Dobbs Stan Zakrewski Martin Murray Victoria Neumark Jones Wendy Sloane Diini Muse Mark Crowhurst Jessica Hoarau Nakole Iddirisu Sophie Bines Aaron Patel Dawn Fernandez Hannah Aldwinkle Dave Teague Sandi Rundle Cole Alex Massey

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Vice-Chancellor, London Met Head of School of Computing and Digital Media Head of Creative Technologies and Digital Media Course Leader, Journalism Senior Lecturer in Journalism and Proctor, SCDM Sabbatical Officer and SU President General Manager, Students’ Union Sabbatical Officer, Students’ Union Sabbatical Officer, Students’ Union Communications Associate, Students’ Union Editor, Verve Magazine (Students’ Union) Marketing Officer Social Media Officer Facilities Supervisor Catering Manager Commercial Ops Manager/Licensed Events

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