The 2026 UKLA International Conference will be held at the University of Strathclyde, in their Technology Innovation Centre. Below is information about what to expect of the building and facilities during the Conference.
Technology Innovation Centre (TIC): What to expect
When you arrive
If you enter the building from Richmond Street, you will come in through one of two glass doors. There will be a reception desk on your left. Straight ahead of you, you will see a small coffee bar and different places to sit on the right and a flight of stairs on the left. Beyond the stairs are the toilets and a larger communal seating area.
If you turn left just after the reception desk you will be in the main conference space. Here you will find the sign-in table and our exhibitors. We’ll also have a map of the venue and a conference programme for you to look at.
Communal spaces
The foyer, conference space and mezzanine will be accessible throughout the conference. Each area has various table and seating options, including comfy seats, standing tables and communal benches.
The conference space will be where our exhibitors set up their tables, and where tea/coffee and food will be served during break and lunch times. You can move freely around this area throughout the conference.
Auditorium
This is where our keynote lectures will take place. It has raked seating and holdsapproximately 150 people. The entrance doors lead to the back of the auditorium.
Seminar rooms
The seminar rooms are visible from the mezzanine and have a glass wall and door. This means you can see into the rooms from the mezzanine (and vice versa!). The rooms can seat approximately 30 people and have moveable tables and chairs. Each has a large screen for displaying visual content. The door to each room is towards the front (where the speaker will stand).
Moving around the building
There is level access to the building (Level 2 is the ground floor), with lift access available to all floors. All auditoria and seminar rooms have wheelchair spaces. There are accessible toilets on all floors.
There are also designated safe areas throughout the building for any delegates unable to evacuate using stairs in the event of an emergency.
Noise levels
The spaces we will be using in this building are largely ‘open plan’. This means that sound can carry from one part of the building to another. During break and lunch times in particular, the mezzanine and foyer are likely to become quite noisy, mostly with the sounds of people talking and serving/eating food.
The building has several quieter areas that you can access throughout the conference. There will also be an additional quiet room accessible via a keycard for delegates who would like to use it. If you think you would benefit from having access to a quiet space during the conference, please contact a member of the conference team .
Feel free to bring/wear noise-cancelling headphones, ear defenders or earplugs if this would help you.
Induction loops
All auditoria and conference rooms are fitted with induction loops.
Lighting
The lighting throughout the building is a mixture of natural light from outside and white overhead lighting. On the mezzanine, there is white strip lighting overhead.
Seminar rooms have large windows which let in natural light. They also have overhead lighting which may be used during evening sessions.
Break and lunch times
During break and lunch times, food will be served in the main conference space on Level 2. Food will be served by University of Strathclyde catering staff from two long tables in the centre of the conference space. The expectation will be for delegates to queue all together and then select what they would like to eat from the available options. You are welcome to sit/stand wherever you like to eat.
We recognise that this format might be overwhelming for some delegates, so if you would like to avoid the crowd and get your food a little early, please contact a member of the conference team, who will help facilitate this.
There are multiple table/seating options available throughout the building, and you are welcome to sit wherever you like. The seminar rooms will also be available, although some might be used for meetings at different times throughout the weekend. The ‘room programme’ outside the door will say when the room is free. You are also welcome to take your break in the quiet spaces or outside (whether permitting!).
If there is anything else we can do to help make the conference more accessible for you, please let us know!