In 2025 we were proud to host the Nordic Social Pharmacy Conference at our very own Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC). Marking its 20th anniversary, this was the first time the event had been held in the UK, taking the conference beyond its usual Nordic host countries and widening participation and perspective. Alongside our award-winning conference facilities, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) also worked in close partnership with our Conference Management Service, harnessing the tools and expertise available to Strathclyders to lighten the load.
Across three days, the conference brought together over 100 delegates for six keynote lectures, 18 parallel sessions, multiple workshops, and a series of lunchtime poster walks. Abstracts were published in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, strengthening visibility and connecting the conference to longer term knowledge exchange.
The theme, Supporting Vulnerable Patient Populations and Tackling Health Inequalities, shaped the conference in both content and tone. The Committee was keen to focus on two practical commitments: delegate wellbeing and environmental sustainability. Our team worked closely with them to turn these priorities into practical, achievable design choices that would enhance the delegate experience, by ensuring we were operating inclusively and sustainably where possible.
Wellbeing was built into the programme with daily 10-minute sessions, delivered by our colleagues from Strathclyde Sport. Offering activities that would feel accessible and restorative, delegates experienced chair-based yoga, guided meditation and light stretching, all delivered ‘in seat’ so there was no need for equipment or changes of venue (or clothes)! Delegates commented that these moments created space for reflection and contributed to a calm, inclusive atmosphere which in turn helped sustain concentration. The optional Walk & Talk at the end of each day added another relaxed opportunity for movement and continued conversation, not to mention some energetic ceilidh dancing on the final evening at The National Piping Centre!
The second commitment, environmental sustainability, was supported by our own green policy, developed through our journey to obtain a Green Meetings Gold award. The conference programme was available electronically, to minimise printed materials. Clear guidance on recycling and sustainable travel was shared in advance, highlighting walking and public transport options, or hopping on Glasgow’s new e-bikes! Delegates were encouraged to bring reusable water bottles to avail of the TIC refill station. Our in-house catering served up delicious plant-forward lunches whilst TIC also collected unwanted materials, paper posters, lanyards and badges, for reuse or recycling. In addition, monetary donations (via QR codes displayed on-screen as well as in the conference e-programme) were facilitated to Pharmaciens Sans Frontières to reinforce the partnership and commitment to tacking health inequalities. These measures were simple, easy to adopt and well received in post event feedback.
To boost delegate engagement, messaging was simple and consistent, with updates shared via the website and regular email, supported by selected social media posts (using the hashtag #NORDIC2025) and within the clear digital programme for easy reference.
This shared commitment to thoughtful planning was enhanced by a strong collaborative relationship between the LOC and members of our Conferencing and Events team. While the LOC led the vision and decision-making, our team contributed essential practical guidance, scheduling support and coordination with Strathclyde Sport. This ensured the wellbeing and sustainability initiatives were seamlessly integrated with little additional cost.
The outcomes reflected this collective effort. Wellbeing elements achieved full marks in the post-event evaluation, sustainability was highly rated at 80 per cent, and nine out of ten delegates described their overall experience as good or above. Qualitative comments praised the organisation of the event, the inclusive tone and the practicalities that made a difference…
‘Thoughtful, inclusive and intelligent’ ‘I really appreciated the nourishing food’
‘Very thoughtfully planned and it showed… the stretch breaks, the long coffee breaks for networking etc’
Looking back, the decision to host the 20th Nordic Social Pharmacy Conference outside the Nordic region brought fresh voices into the room and created a blueprint for future iterations of the meeting. By aligning the theme with delivery, supporting the Committee’s ambitions on wellbeing and sustainability, and working collaboratively throughout, we helped create an environment where concentrated knowledge exchange sat seamlessly alongside care, inclusion and responsibility.
To learn more about our facilities, conference management service, or those little extras we can bring to your event, do get in touch, we’d be delighted to chat!
