As part of our commitment to the professional development of HELOA members, we offer a range of training and development opportunities at local and national level. As an Association, we are committed to providing ‘top quality, competitively-priced training’, and always seek to deliver innovative and timely activities.
National Conference
Our National Conference allows members to take advantage of a range of sessions from numerous high-profile keynote & plenary speakers, as well as a range of topical, engaging workshop and discussion sessions. The National Conference also includes the HELOA Innovation & Best Practice Awards which recognise and celebrate examples of excellence from within the membership.
Professional Development Conference
Our Professional Development Conferences provide the opportunity for individuals who are operating at a management level to come together and interact with policy makers and leading practitioners in a particular field. Where possible, also look to accredit our New Practitioners and Professional Development Conferences.
New Practitioners’ Conference
The New Practitioners’ Conference provides an opportunity for new or inexperienced members to learn from education liaison professionals; typical sessions include building effective relationships and an overview of the current HE sector and the conference offers plenty of opportunities to network and develop best practice.
Group Level Activity
At group level, members are able to access a range of training opportunities and networking support through regular meetings. One of the key benefits of the Association is the way in which it enables members to communicate, share information, provide mutual support and create opportunities for cooperation and collaboration.
As per the HELOA Strategy, the Training Team will ensure there is a balance of in person and online events to support our members. We will continue to work with our range of partners to support conferences and ensure members have access to their insights and knowledge. We will also be embedding recommendations from HELOA’s recent EDI project into all our events which includes considering any changes we can make to ensure we are offering an inclusive and engaging training offering for our members.
Dates for the diary
| Event | Date | Location |
| Professional Development Conference | 1st May 2025 | Online |
| New Practitioners’ Conference | Thursday 22nd & Friday 23rd May 2025 | Liverpool |
| National Conference 2026 | Wednesday 14th – Friday 16th January 2026 | Stratford-upon-Avon |
Could you be a speaker at one of our next conferences?
One of HELOA’s core goals is to share best practice across the HE sector. If you have an idea for a session that you would like to be considered to present, at any of our conferences or at a group meeting, please complete the below expression of interest form.
We are especially looking for speakers to present on the following topics…
- How to improve your networking skills
- Making the most of a temporary contract
- Coping with Change, in an unstable sector
- How to convert offer holders? Applicant days and beyond
- Subject/faculty recruitment events – What works and what doesn’t?
- Working with academic colleagues to deliver effective outreach
- Large scale events- Open to all ideas
- Attracting and converting students on a small budget
- Disability access support – How can we best support those with a disability when applying/ transitioning to university?
- How can we support WP students transition into the first year of their studies?
- What will be the future of WP? WP looking forward.
- Working with mature students
- How to break down social barriers to higher education
- The future of the prospectus
- Intro to HE Marketing/How to get the most out of your HE marketing.
- How to embed authentic student voice in your marketing campaigns?
- WP in postgraduate (specifically with focus on PGR)
- Conversion events for the PG market
- PG Full-time/Part-time/evening classes/distance learning trend
- Looking after our mental health and our teams/ managing stress/ maintaining a health work life balance
- Utilising relationships in wider teams (CRM, marketing etc)
- Retention and training of student ambassadors
- Using different types of ambassadors (subject ambassadors/WP ambassadors)
- Building and maintaining a strong and motivated team
- Running events on a small budget
As we continue with our strategic aims of offering sector-leading training and best practice opportunities, we are pleased to be able to continue our membership with CPD U.K. and aim to accredit our new practitioners and professional development conferences.
Emily Day
Vice Chair (Training)