Kickstart your school leaver recruitment at this unmissable event.
What University? & What Career? Live is the UK’s leading school leaver event that offers you the chance to boost your applications and provides the unique opportunity to meet a diverse pool of students, parents, teachers and key influencers all under one roof.
The main benefits of exhibiting
Meet a diverse pool of student talent and generate quality applications
Boost your brand awareness to stand out from the competition
Engage with key influencers – chat with parents & teachers too!
What University? & What Career? Live
What University? & What Career? Live brings together higher education and employment opportunities – alongside expert advice and inspirational features – to give students the chance to discover all of their options under one roof.
Taking place at the NEC, Birmingham, in February and Olympia London in November, these easily accessible locations attract a diverse mix of visitors from across the UK. We’ve also introduced What University? & What Career? Live On Campus, a new event taking place at the University of Exeter on Wednesday 16 June 2027 – read on to find out more.
Our events at the NEC & Olympia are held on a Friday and Saturday, catering to school groups as well as students attending with their families. With teachers and parents playing an increasingly important role in teenagers’ career decisions, exhibiting offers you the unique opportunity to meet young people and key influencers simultaneously.
What University? & What Career? Live On Campus
Taking place at the University of Exeter on Wednesday 16 June, this one-day regional event complements our established events at Olympia, London and the NEC, Birmingham, giving exhibitors access to a new audience of students across the South West.
The event brings together universities & apprenticeship providers from across the UK, creating a focused environment for meaningful conversations with students at a key stage in their decision-making journey.
Set on the beautiful University of Exeter campus, the event offers a high-quality platform to raise awareness and build relationships with year 11–13 students.
Exclusive add-on rates are available to organisations already exhibiting at our London or Birmingham events – for more information, please contact the What Next? Team here.
HOW DO WE ATTRACT OUR AUDIENCE?
The events benefit from a big-budget, nationwide marketing campaign offering unparalleled branding opportunities for exhibitors. During an average year, an ad for the event is seen or heard over 21 million times!*
Media channels include:
- London Underground panels on key commuter routes
- Strategically placed billboards to attract students en route to school
- Radio ads targeting parents on Heart FM and Smooth
- High-impact TV advertising on Channel 4 & ITV
- Plus much more! Take a look at the full marketing campaign here!
*Figures provided by Smithfield and 75 Media
WHO EXHIBITS?
HIGHER EDUCATION PROVIDERS:
Universities, colleges and further education providers from across the UK and overseas, including the University of Oxford, Access Creative College and Swansea University.
EMPLOYERS:
Companies that offer apprenticeships, entry-level roles, degree apprenticeships and more, from a broad range of sectors, including accounting, engineering and law.
ADVICE AND SUPPORT:
Organisations that offer other avenues after school such as gap year providers, or guidance on how young people can take their next steps with confidence including SnapRevise, Maximus and Sutton Trust.
