Study UK: Discover You exhibitions are held each year in November and February in India to showcase the wide range of study opportunities available in the UK, a glimpse of student life in the UK and career prospects of a UK qualification.
The exhibitions provide UK institutions a platform for recruitment, brand building and also help UK institutions develop and strengthen links with local education providers.
The February leg of the 2018 exhibition was held from 2 to 11 February; travelling to Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Pune, Delhi and Mumbai. The exhibition attracted 5219 visitors across all six cities.
The footfall at this year’s exhibition recorded a increase of 15% in number of attendees.
The exhibition in Mumbai saw a massive 86% increase in spite of university exams being conducted in the city colleges. Mumbai was followed by Delhi with a growth of 65% over last year’s numbers.
The exhibition briefing and pre-exhibition reception was successfully delivered in Bangalore, a day before the start of the exhibitions. The evening was graced by over 120 guests that included delgates from over 50 UK universities, and 20 local institutional contacts and 15 education consultants. During the reception, the increase in the Tier 4 student visa numbers for Indian students was also announced
Officers from UK Visas an Immigration (UKVI) were present at each exhibition and delivered seminars in Bangalore, Chennai and Pune. The UKVI officer addressed first hand queries and spoke to various students at the dedicated UKVI stall at the exhibition cities. Student visa queries are sensitive and requires responses from experts which is why we aim to connect students with visa officers through the exhibition platform.
Additionally there was representation from IELTS and Chevening Scholarship teams across all exhibition cities. The exhibition also showcased the exciting Mix the City offer where visitors could prepare their own music mixes using an interactive online platform.
At the February exhibitions, QR codes for institution prospectus were also displayed for interested students to scan and download the prospectuses of their choice at the event. We also showcased a video wall at each exhibition venue that displayed videos sent by UK institutions on a loop, thus providing a virtual tour of student life in the UK to all visitors. We also introduced subject specialist exhibition specific to Business Studies and MBA in Mumbai and Delhi.
This report will provide insight on the visitor profile, subject areas of interest, enquiry trends and the marketing activities that were undertaken to promote the exhibitions. The findings of this report will help UK institutions consolidate recruitment opportunities in India.