Venue Provides Perfect Setting For ‘Blue Sky’ Thinking

Client: ThinkLab

Type of Event: 1 Day Meeting

Date: Multiple dates throughout 2023

Group meeting around a table White man in glasses in a meeting with a bookcase behind him Black woman talking in a meeting Asian woman smiling in a meeting

The University of Cambridge ThinkLab Programme, as part of the Strategic Partnerships Office, partners with organisations and brings together teams of researchers and students throughout the University to explore big picture challenges, such as the concept of hybrid working.

Bringing experts together, from a wide range of sectors is central to the programme, with some of the brightest minds in academia developing bespoke approaches to solve real-life challenges. This mutual collaboration serves as a creative spark of best practices and positive outcomes, with participants working together towards shared goals and objectives on bigger picture questions.

Central Location

The ThinkLab team has held a number of these one-day meetings at the Pitt Building on Trumpington Street in Cambridge, which is just around the corner from its offices and provides a central and neutral space for discussion.

Tyler Shores, Programme Manager says:

“We find the Pitt Building meets all our requirements, as it’s not a university department or College but enjoys an excellent location at the very heart of the city.

“The Pitt Building offers a range of rooms, all with a very Cambridge look and feel, which can be set up in different styles to suit our requirements. A number of our guests from organisations such as BBC and Google have commented on some of the “wow factor” of the venue, such as the very distinctive Oriel Room (which is also my personal favourite). Importantly, the venue is accessible and the catering is also excellent, with all-day refreshments and lunch.

Building Relationships

“Essentially, it’s about getting everyone in the same room to brainstorm, to have dialogue and discussion and to build relationships in-person rather than trying to do so in a hybrid event. Often these sessions are attended by people from across the UK and for some it is their first time in Cambridge.

“For this reason, in addition to the formal aspects of the day, we often arrange activities to give delegates the ‘Cambridge Experience’, including punting or lunch around the City Centre which provides a more relaxed opportunity for further discussion.

Valuable Resource

“Meet Cambridge is a very valuable resource in helping us to organise our meetings as it offers more than 50 venues to choose from and provides an excellent venue-finding service through a central point of contact.”

IMAGE CREDITS: University of Cambridge/ThinkLab