Twenty years ago, a college might have rented out dormitory space to church groups in the summer to keep the buildings in use and to make a little money on the side. Today, renting out space to host conferences and meetings has become a big business for colleges and universities.
The scope of the business is being determined by a study sponsored by the Association of Conference and Events Directors International for Collegiate Conference and Events Professionals (ACED). Jill Lancaster, the association's executive director, expects the dollar amount to be surprisingly large.
"There are still church groups that want dorm rooms in the summer, but the services they are offered are more extensive," says Lancaster. Such services include sophisticated classroom space with advanced technology, auditoriums, theaters and athletic facilities.
"What better place to conduct a conference than a college campus," says Michele Nichols, publisher of The Guide which lists hundreds of campus and university meeting facilities. `They are inspirational, refreshing. It's a great match.'
The need for campuses to have conference centers has been recognized for some time. For more than forty years, Kellogg has given development grants to promote continuing education on college campuses. Michigan State University was the first, in the early 1950s; Tuskegee University the last, in 1994.
Few colleges have stand-alone conference centers on campus, but almost all have some facilities that are available to groups to rent.
"I can't think of a college or university that doesn't make its facilities available in the summer in order to make money," says Connie Gilmore-Boaitey, the incoming president of ACED.
The very existence of ACED serves as a testimony to the growing nature of the business. Twenty years ago, eleven people whose jobs were to facilitate conferences on campuses formed the organization. Today membership tops 450, which doesn't even count those people whose primary jobs are housing or student affairs but who manage conferences on the side.
