Type of event: Residential conference

Group size: 150 guests

Venues: St John’s College; Trinity College; Pembroke College

Date: 31st March-2nd April 2014

Global Biotech Revolution (GBR) Gap Summit is the world’s first global and inter-generational leadership summit in Biotechnology and was started by PhD students from Cambridge University to address some gaps.

Background

Global Biotech Revolution (GBR) GapSummit is the world’s first global and inter-generational leadership summit in Biotechnology and was started by PhD students from Cambridge University to address some gaps. They felt that the industry needs a next generation that is well connected; can challenge itself, the status quo and the leaders of today; and have skills beyond scientific excellence. GapSummit was created to develop an intergenerational debate between the leaders of today and the leaders of tomorrow in order to grow a next generation of biotech leaders, as well as to enable them to create impactful projects in biotechnology.

Brief

GapSummit was an exclusive event for 150 invited people, including 100 leaders of tomorrow comprising graduate students, young professionals and entrepreneurs from around the world. Student accommodation was provided in Cambridge Colleges; the 50 leaders of today stayed at the Cambridge City Hotel.

The event required a venue which could accommodate 150 people, as well as providing catering and technical equipment. This needed to have teaching rooms, dining halls, lecture theatres and large hall for the welcome reception. Two conference dinners were also required.

Event

The event was held at the Divinity School at St John’s College and the conference dinners at Trinity College and Pembroke College.

Frieder Haenisch, one of the conferences organisers and a PhD candidate at Cambridge University said: “We were very well supported by St. John’s College, as well as Pembroke College and Trinity College which provided us with affordable dinners. One of the greatest challenges was finding somewhere with 13 workshop rooms!

Client Feedback

“All the venues and rooms we used were in excellent condition and the St John’s Conference Team was very helpful in meeting all our requirements.

“Conference Cambridge offered a very valuable service to us. They led the communication with the Colleges in the planning phase of our event and saved us a tremendous amount of time. We are looking forward to working with them on future events.

“From our side, the entire organising team learned a great deal and everyone was very enthusiastic about the personal benefits of the GapSummit. We have already started to work on followup activities and we want to use the feedback to improve the next GapSummit, which will be held in 2016.”