This year’s AUE Conference took place at the University of Newcastle, between 3rd and 5th September. The theme was The Modern University Estate – Engineering and Environmental Compliance.
Attendees including delegates, retirees and spouses totalled 84 which included two retired members. There was a total of 4 Plenary Sessions, hosted by Kate Bellingham who was as informative and entertaining as ever. Topics ranged from Betamax: How to be Wrong When You Are Right and District Energy - Full Circle on the Path to Net Zero. There was also a choice of 9 workshops to attend across the Thursday and Friday. Subjects included Sustainability and Reliance of Service through Asset Management and Remote Monitoring in HVAC: The Hidden Engine Driving Decarbonisation and Energy Resilience. Further details of the Plenary Sessions and Workshops are available by clicking on the links below.
Our accommodation was at the aptly named Park View Student Village, directly opposite a lovely park which also allowed cows to roam free, which although unusual for many of us was a wonderful sight and which lifted our mooo…d. For the football fans amongst us, some rooms had a fantastic view of St James’ Park, Newcastle United’s football grounds. YourVision Events and university staff were on hand to ensure the conference ran smoothly. There was local parking for those of us who chose to drive to the conference and there was a shuttle service laid on from the nearby Newcastle train station.
Exhibitors and delegates attended Wednesday afternoon's excursions which included visits to Thorn Lighting’s State-of-the-Art Manufacturing Facility Tour, Ouseburn Trust - Victorian Tunnel Tour, Anarchy Brew Co Tour and a Discovery Museum Tour. More details of the excursions are available here:
The official opening of the Trade Exhibition was held at the end of the day in the Sports Hall 1, Sport & Fitness Centre by Erin Peart, Director of Estates and Facilities at Newcastle University, whereafter we enjoyed an informal and fun Welcome Dinner at The Venue, Newcastle University Students’ Union. The whole conference was an excellent opportunity for delegates and exhibitors to network face-to-face and many mutually beneficial contacts were made.
The more formal Gala Drinks Reception and Gala Dinner took place on Thursday evening at the Biscuit Factory. Our Gala Dinner Speaker was Georgia Elliot-Smith. Two awards were presented during the dinner – the Harland Roberts Award best apprentice/trainee/improver was presented to Joseph Thomas, Maintenance Engineering Assistant Surveyor (LEV), University of Warwick and the John Hallett Award was presented to Sally Wilkin for her outstanding support of the AUE over the past 11 years. Many congratulations to them both.
Harland Roberts Award Winner 2025 - Joseph Thomas
John Hallett Award Winner 2025 - Sally Wilkin
We must also extend a huge “thank you” to Phil Atkinson, the Conference Sub-Group and YourVision Events for organising such an invigorating conference.
As always, we are indebted to our Sponsors and Exhibitors, without whom the conference could not take place. Please click here for contact details/profiles.
Charity
This year the AUE are proud to be supporting The Key a small but ambitious North East charity that empowers young people across the North East of England, particularly those growing up in poverty and those facing challenging personal circumstances. To help raise funds, a special fundraiser game was organised for the Gala Dinner “Heads or Tails”. Attendees at this year’s AUE Conference donated a total of £1,065 to this worthwhile cause.
The conference provides an excellent opportunity to catch up with colleagues new and old, where you will get to meet in person the people that you have seen on Teams or that you correspond with via JISCMail. There is always someone to help you with a problem you might be facing, or better still, you can offer to help another member with a problem they might be facing.
The AGM held on the Thursday is a crucial opportunity for all full members to come together and contribute to the future of the AUE. Participation in the AGM is not only your right but essential to the growth of the AUE, ensuring we represent the diverse views and interests of our entire membership.
The Conference concluded with a presentation by Billy Ferguson, AUE National Chair & Head of Sustainability Delivery, University of Glasgow. Details of the 2026 Conference are still to be confirmed.
