Why Do We Offer PhD-Specific Events?

Three years post-pandemic, in-person study fairs and open days have made a full comeback – and play a more important role than ever in your recruitment strategy.

Alongside our Postgrad LIVE study fairs, which are open to both Masters and PhD applicants, we also host PhD LIVE, an event specifically designed for aspiring PGR students. There’s still time to book your place at our PhD LIVE study fair in Sheffield this coming October!

But why do we offer PhD-only events, and what can you expect as an exhibitor?

Prospective PhD students want the niche

Prospective PhD students are telling us that they often don’t feel that the information at in-person open days and events is tailored to their specific needs. Events with a broader postgraduate focus may end up skewed towards the larger PGT market, and miss the more niche content that PhD students are really interested in – which is where PhD LIVE comes in.

A desire to ‘cut to the chase’ when it comes to finding their ideal research project, coupled with the fact that PGR interested students have a higher interest in attending physical events than their PGT counterparts, demonstrates the need for an event tailored to them. PGR students are even willing to travel further for in-person events, suggesting that there is a huge amount of enthusiasm to be capitalised on with a targeted approach!

PhD LIVE bridges this gap. We pride ourselves on providing tailored information for aspiring researchers and helping exhibitors promote their PhD opportunities to a high-quality audience!

Last year, our in-person PhD LIVE fairs attracted over 700 prospective PhD students across two days, who were able to discuss their plans and ideas with university representatives face-to-face and attend talks on a range of PhD-themed topics including studentships and research proposals.

What can you expect as an exhibitor on the day?

If it’s your first time at one of our physical fairs – or if you’re a veteran exhibitor in need of a refresher – you may be wondering what to expect. Your exhibitor pack, which we’ll send over once you’ve booked, will contain all the details, but we’ve put together a quick overview.

When you arrive, a member of our Events Team will show you to your stand, which will come complete with two chairs (or three if you’ve paid for an extra representative), lanyards, bottled water and some sweet treats to keep you going.

Feel free to bring tablecloths, pull-up banners and prospectuses to decorate your stand, as well as all the promotional items you can carry (hint: branded yo-yos proved surprisingly popular at one of our recent fairs). But don’t worry if you’ve got more tote bags than can be reasonably transported by train – you can also arrange to have everything you need delivered ahead of time (although don’t forget to organise pick-up at the end of the event too!).

The venue will open to exhibitors to set up their stands from 9:30am. The fair will officially open to students at 12pm and runs until 3pm. This is your opportunity to discuss everything PhD, from your projects and funding opportunities to housing and student life.

And if you’re worried about getting everyone’s details and sharing your opportunities once the event is finished, then don’t worry – our FAUScan app makes data collection simple. You simply scan a student’s badge and save their GDPR-compliant contacts for post-even follow up. Just add this to your booking so you don’t miss out on potential leads!

If you have any questions about PhD LIVE drop us an email at [email protected]. Or head over to our booking form to secure your place today! Bookings will close around two weeks before the event. We hope to see you there.