This year’s theme ‘Connecting for Greatness: Building Reputation Through Collaboration’ gave delegates the chance to explore how universities can grow their reputation and increase their influence through their stakeholders, other institutions, and the world around them.

The programme featured speakers from member institutions from across Europe and includes a delegate dinner to further the networking opportunities.

W100 Members can attend the W100 LIVE sessions free of charge*. There will be a charge of £50 per person for the dinner.

Email Sarah Thomas to book your place.  Places are strictly limited so please book as soon as you can to avoid disappointment; *1 place per member university – we will run a waiting list for additional delegates from the same university.

The event, although separate, will run parallel to THE Campus Live UK & Ire and THE awards, which runs on both 16 & 17 November at the same venue. The timings of World 100 Live allow members to attend THE Campus LIVE. As part of the 2022-2023 membership offer, World 100 Reputation Network members can claim one free ticket to THE Campus Live, and a 50% discount on additional places. Please contact us for the code. 

The theme reflected the vast growth and developments higher education has seen over recent years, whether it be down to changes demanded by COVID-19 or changes that reflect ongoing societal issues and student demands.

The return of the in-person conference also saw a return of the members’ study tour, where delegates visited the campuses of further prestigious, member institutions based in Canada, University of Toronto and McMaster University. World 100 Study tours offer delegates exclusive access to unique reputational assets of the host university and the opportunity to hold strategic discussions with senior university staff.

Therefore, after months of online-only events, World 100 Live gives UK and European members the chance to reunite in person and hear from experts on a variety of issues pertinent to higher education reputation in 2021.

We will be running a series of regional World 100 Conferences during the 2021/2022 membership year that will offer the best opportunity (given pandemic uncertainties) of providing the face-to-face engagement that our members value so highly, and the ability to engage with leading speakers focusing on the key issues in higher education reputation management.

These regional events will take place in three key regions: Europe & the UK; the APAC region and North America.

The first of these was W100 Live and took place in London, UK, on November 24 2021.

The programme featured speakers from member institutions from across Europe and included a delegate dinner, giving attendees a return to the networking of previous conferences that we’ve been missing for so long.

The event, although separate, ran parallel to THE Campus Live UK and THE awards and formed part of this year’s conference series which sees The World 100 Annual Conference replaced with three regional in-person or hybrid events in three regions of the globe.

Thank you to everyone who joined us online for the first World 100 virtual conference.

Operating as a week-long ‘festival of reputation’, the conference included top speakers on the key issues facing the sector as we adjust to the new environment driven by the pandemic. There were also opportunities to network with colleagues across the world.

The virtual conference was a key part of the 2020-21 W100 membership year, which will also feature new initiatives including a bespoke reputation workshop for each member, regional W100 events, free tickets to Times Higher Education summits, and more networking and training opportunities. Full details are available to members.

The W100 Annual Conference 2019 took place at The University of Manchester in Manchester, UK, from 9 – 11 September. Sally Sykes, Director of Communications and Marketing, and Alan Ferns, Associate Vice-President of External Relations and Reputation, were our hosts. The conference focused on how universities can build reputation through working with their communities and wider society.

The theme ‘A Reputation for Relevance – Universities Engaging with Society’ allowed us to explore how universities are building a reputation for working with local communities; how students are prepared for roles as citizens; how we prove higher education is contributing to society.

The W100 Annual Conference 2018 took place at The University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada, from 26 – 28 September. Philip Steenkamp, Vice President, External Relations at The University of British Columbia, was our host. The conference focused on how universities stand out and differentiate themselves on a global scale.

The theme ‘Differentiation and the World-Class University’ allowed us to explore how universities can stand out from the pack as global competition increases and academia comes under greater scrutiny in an increasingly turbulent media environment.

The conference had a strong Canadian presence, with speakers from UBC, Western University, University of Toronto, Destination Canada and even Hootsuite, the innovative social media company based in Vancouver. The rest of the world was also represented with speakers from Australia, Europe and USA.

The W100 Annual Conference 2017 took place at Utrecht University in Utrecht, the Netherlands, from 4 – 6 October. Cor Jansen, Director of Regional Co-operation and Strategic Alliances, Utrecht University, was our host. The conference focused on how universities work to influence on a global scale, which the world-leading Dutch are well-versed in.

The theme ‘Circles of Influence: Putting your University at the Heart of the Conversation’ recognises that in this dynamic environment, universities need to be at the very heart of the conversation and be proactive in contributing to its pace and rhythm.

We had a range of international speakers with other perspectives which shined a light on opportunities and challenges surrounding the topic of influence in different parts of the world. We examined how American universities are navigating changing times, new techniques in student recruitment, city influence, connecting with employers and industry and how leading academics are influencing global research.

The W100 Annual Conference 2016 took place at University College Dublin (UCD) in Dublin, Ireland, from 6 – 7 October. Eilis O’Brien, Director of Marketing and Communications, University College Dublin, was our host. The conference focused on how universities communicate their university reputation and research through storytelling and cultural heritage.

The theme focus, ‘Higher Narrative: Communicating University Reputation and Research through Storytelling, Culture and Heritage’, is one the Irish might rightly argue to be experts in, and it explored how you create interest in your present and future, through good brand narratives, compelling research stories and social media. 2016 also marked the centenary of The Easter Rising, one of the defining moments of the struggle for Irish independence which began on Easter Monday 1916, providing a particularly interesting context for our theme.

Dublin is one of the most connected cities in the world, with international flights to destinations across Europe and North America and of course a reputation for fine food, bars and wonderful Georgian architecture right by the sea. Ireland is also home to some of the most impressive hi-tech and marketing companies, including Google and Intel, and made for a stimulating venue for our annual conference. Experts from world-class universities presented on topics including changing narratives during a crisis, how to communicate research and visualising campaigns.

The W100 Annual Conference 2015 took place at The University of Sydney, Australia, from 28 – 29 September. Marian Theobald, Director of Marketing and Communications, The University of Sydney, was our host. The conference focused on how place can impact university reputation.

The theme ‘The Power of Place: Communicating Global Universities as Destinations & Experiences’ recognises that place holds weight with university reputation, and allowd us to explores how universities can use their city and community to attract top students, how to reflect the brand in the built environment and how to reassure people about safety and security when things go wrong.

With had a range of international speakers, the conference showcased how experts in destination marketing from the world’s best universities make the most of their cities and campuses.

The W100 Annual Conference 2014 took place at the University of Michigan, United States, from 7 – 8 October. Lee Doyle, Director of Communications Policy and Administration, University of Michigan, was our host. The conference focused on the theme of transformation and how universities must change and adapt to survive.

The theme ‘Transformation: where world-class universities have to change to survive’ allowed university leaders to discuss the often similar obstacles that world-class universities now face, and to share their varied and innovative adaptations for preserving and developing institutional reputation in the face of new challenges.

Those responsible for reputation management in a range of exceptional international universities led master classes on topics such as world-class brand-building, international strategy and leadership, rankings and recruitment, plus stakeholder engagement and social media.