On the 1^st and 2^nd February MEETinLEEDS welcomed the Society of Evidence Based Policing to the University of Leeds for the SEBP 2016 Winter Conference.

The event, “Policing: Evidence as the Driver for Change”, saw the society, which is made up of police officers, police staff, and research professionals discuss how to raise awareness of, advocate and implement evidence based methodology part of everyday policing in the UK.

The main sessions were hosted in the Great Hall, our prestigious venue which focus for the University’s ceremonial activities. Parkinson Court provided the arena for catering and exhibition stands, including the key conference sponsor Axon Public Safety.

MEETinLEEDS worked alongside Clifford Stott, Principal Research Fellow at the University of Leeds School of Law to organise and host the event in collaboration with the N8 Research Partnership. Collaborating with Schools and Departments remains a key goal for MEETinLEEDS, as we seek to aid the University’s strategic plan of interdisciplinary working through a commitment to creating and enhancing collaborations in education, research and innovation.

The Event Managers Katrina Dickens and Anthony Lowe had an eventful few days over the course of the event, but the work started many months ago, says Katrina:

“Though the SEBP 2016 event initially appeared to be a straightforward 2 day conference we quickly realised that aspects of the event would require all of our problem solving abilities. Communicating with delegates and confirming attendance were our main challenges, as complexities of payment, communication and late registration are inherent in dealing with police organisations. The final numbers did increase in the days leading up to the event, which meant a reconfiguration of the room layout and catering, as well as a quick one-hour-turnaround of the Great Hall (see the video below) from its guise as the main session meeting room to that of the evening reception and dining area.

However, it was great to work with Clifford and the SEBP team, with the attendees having an enjoyable and informative stay at the University of Leeds.”

Clifford Stott said: “I would firstly like to thank MEETinLEEDS for their assistance in hosting the Society for Evidence Based Policing Conference on 1st & 2nd February. The event went very well and I think all the delegates and the organisation left with a positive experience that will reflect well upon the University.

We began planning the event later last year and began to organise this through the School of Law. We initially met some difficulties given our lack of experience in organising events of this scale and nature. In this regard I was delighted when I first had the opportunity to meet with MEETinLEEDS to discuss the planning and arrangements. It was from that point onward that the organisation for the event became effective and manageable. There was a very real sense of ‘ownership’ provided by MEETinLEEDS which gave me confidence the organisation was committed to the delivery of a very high quality event. Moreover, the team held regular meetings with us at which we were able to gain updates and discuss any issues that were relevant. The team were also important in handling the late changes and liaison with the SEBP executive as we approached the conference itself. On the day of the event the team were on hand to deal with registration and help resolve issues and the conference was delivered without complication.

In short I was very pleased with the excellent service provided throughout and would have no hesitation – indeed already have – provided the strongest recommendation for getting in touch with MEETinLEEDS when hosting any major event at the University.”