Dear colleague,
It's now a year since we launched a range of new services for UK boarding schools to help you recruit international students.
We're pleased to say that over 45 schools have made use of these services since launch. You can find out more below, plus:
- Meet agents from around the world... all in one day in the UK!
- International agent contact listings
- Schools-focused student recruitment exhibitions
- Funding for overseas exhibitions
- 2009 Education UK Partnership conference
- Meet us at the AMDIS and ISC conferences
We hope you find this useful. For more information, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you'd like to discuss your international recruitment and marketing needs in more detail, please don't hesitate to contact us on +44 (0)161 957 7069.
Kind regards
Peter Shelley
Education UK Partnership
T: +44 (0)161 957 7069
educationuk.partnership@britishcouncil.org
www.britishcouncil.org/eumd-partnership-boarding-schools
The Education UK Partnership is the British Council's membership organisation for UK schools, colleges and universities.
Agents play a vital role in recruiting international students. In 2000, MORI research revealed that almost a third of international students in the UK had used the services of an agent. More recent data from our student decision-making research shows that 45 per cent of international students in the UK used an in-country intermediary. Their impact is clear, but how do you find quality agents to represent your school?
Taking place in April 2010, the Education UK Partnership agent fairs give you the chance to build a valuable network of agents to promote your school, cost-effectively and easily. The fairs are open to all UK boarding schools and give you the opportunity to:
- Meet agents from key recruitment countries: At last year's fairs, we welcomed 27 agents from countries including Bahrain, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Malaysia, Nigeria, Russia, Thailand, Uganda and Vietnam. This year, we are expecting a similar number and range of agents.
- Network with agents and other schools: The night before the fairs, there will be a networking dinner to give you the chance to get to know agents and colleagues from the British Council and other UK boarding schools informally
- Find out the latest market opportunities and trends: We will be running an optional seminar on the 26 and 28 April 2010 to give you the latest market intelligence.
- Explore working together: At the fair, you'll have an individual stand to display your promotional materials. You then have twenty minute 'speed-dating' appointments with the agents that you want to meet.
Last year, 39 schools participated and 90 per cent rated their meetings with agents as 'excellent' or 'good'.
Registration will open shortly and we will send you an invitation when it does. The estimated cost to participate in the fair and networking dinner is GBP 800 for members of the Education UK Partnership and GBP 1,600 for non-members. The venues and the costs will be confirmed when registration opens.
If you would like to find out more in the meantime, please contact Sarah Mountstephen.
Want to contact agents around the world who are currently engaged in, or interested in, representing boarding schools?
As a member of the Education UK Partnership, you have access to agent contact listings for the following key markets: Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Malasiya, Nigeria, Russia, Singapore, UAE, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Find out more and access the lists on our website.
We offer a range of events and exhibitions in key recruitment countries specifically for UK boarding schools to help you meet international students and their parents.
Following this month's schools mission to Hong Kong on 17 October 2009, other upcoming events for UK boarding schools include:
- Thailand, 6 November 2009
- Vietnam, 22 to 26 January 2010
- Russia, 12 to 13 March 2010
- Thailand, 4 to 5 June 2010
As well as these schools-focused exhibitions, the British Council also organises over 50 education exhibitions around the world each year promoting UK HE, FE and schools. Some exhibitions can attract up to 80,000 visitors, bringing you face to face with the prospective international students and parents you want to meet.
Our exhibitions are open to all UK institutions. Members of the Partnership pay 50 per cent less than non-members and receive priority booking.
To book and find out more, please visit our website.
UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets. They can give advice to schools on working in new markets and may be able to provide small grants to cover some of the costs of attending an overseas exhibition.
Interested in finding out more? In the first instance, schools should contact their local UKTI International Trade Team.
Schools can also apply for support through the UKTI's Tradeshow Access Programm.
Many of the Education UK Partnership services for boarding schools are available on an ad-hoc basis to all schools. However, as a member, you gain substantial discounts and priority booking and you can re-coup your fee very quickly. You also gain additional exclusive services.
The annual membership cost for boarding schools is GBP 1,950. So what do you get from being a member? Here are five key benefits:
- Plan more effectively with schools-focused market intelligence:
- Exclusive access to 'International education market for UK boarding schools' research.
- Exclusive access to reports on international student recruitment trends, market profiles and more.
- Build a valuable network of agents to promote your school:
- Exclusive agent contact listings for non-EU recruitment countries.
- 50 per cent discount and priority booking for the 2010 agent fair, worth an estimated GBP 800.
- 50 per cent discount on workshop 'How to work with agents more effectively', worth GBP 225.
- Meet students and parents at schools-focused events and exhibitions:
- 50 per cent discount and priority booking for Education UK exhibitions and missions
- Promote your school to students and parents through the Education UK publications and website:
- 30 per cent discount on profiling and advertising on www.educationuk.org, which receives over 12 million visitors each year
- 30 per cent discount on profiling and advertising in Education UK publications, including the 'UK Universities, Colleges and Schools Handbook'. We publish 30,000 of these guides and they are distributed to over 60 countries.
- Gain ideas and best-practice with local advice, contacts and professional development opportunities:
- Free pass to the Education UK Partnership conference, worth GBP 420.
- Unlimited free invitations to the Partnership regional meetings.
- 50 per cent discount on marketing courses.
To apply and for further details please contact Peter Shelley at the Education UK Partnership helpdesk or visit the Partnership website.
The 2009 Education UK Partnership Conference is the annual event for UK schools, colleges and universities involved in international student recruitment and marketing. 2008 was the most well attended Partnership conference ever with over 600 delegates, and this year we anticipate another fantastic turn-out.
Two exciting days of networking, seminars and workshops will give you the opportunity to:
- get specialist advice, local contacts and market updates from British Council education managers from around the world
- share ideas and best-practice with other UK institutions
- build relationships and explore ways of working together
- find out the latest education market intelligence
- identity opportunities and emerging markets.
To ensure schools are able to discuss their particular challenges and opportunities, we are running two sessions: 'A guide to best practice in the international marketing of boarding schools' and 'A review of the Partnership's services for boarding schools' giving you the opportunity to discuss the services provided so far and the priorities for the year ahead.
The conference is exclusive to members of the Education UK Partnership. To book your place or for more information, please visit the Conference website. If you have any questions, please call us on +44 (0) 161 957 7069 or e-mail eukp.conference@britishcouncil.org. We look forward to seeing you there.
Would you like to find out how the British Council can help you meet your international student recruitment goals? The British Council is taking part in the following conferences:
- ISC Marketing 2009 conference, 4 November 2009
- AMDIS conference, 23 to 24 November 2009
If you are attending, we'd like to warmly invite you to visit us at our stand to discuss your needs and how we can help. Arlene Griffiths, Director of the Education UK Partnership, British Council, will also be delivering a presentation at the ISC conference about international marketing and recruitment.
Alternatively, if you are not attending either of the conferences, please give us a call at any time on +44 (0)161 957 7069.
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