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.
