We hope that our work on making the conference accessible and inclusive means that many of your needs will already be provided for but if there is anything you'd like to check or request please do get in touch via [email protected].
Our conference venue
The Brighton Centre has excellent accessibility standards.
Getting around the venue
The Brighton Centre is a pretty big and can be a confusing place to find your way around so feel free to ask a member of staff to help you find a particular room. We'll also have maps and signs to help you find your way.
There are stairs and lifts at the front and rear of the building and we have a stair-free map of the venue.
If you'd benefit from a chance to find your way around the venue before we open the doors to everyone just email [email protected] and we'll schedule a tour for you.
There is seating dotted around the venue, particularly in the bar areas either side of Auditorium 1, in our quiet room, the cafes and each of the talk rooms.
Sound
All talks are amplified.
A wifi induction loop is available in Auditorium 1. Download Sennheiser Mobile Connect (available on Android and iOS), select 'media' and the audio will be bluetoothed to your hearing aid or device.
Planning ahead
The Brighton Centre have a 360 virtual realtiy video tour that shows the venue being used for a gig so things will be a little different for the conference but it should give you an idea of the space.
There are talks happening simulataneously in multiple rooms during the conference. You can use our schedule to plan your visit and think about which talks you want to see. We generally encourage people to move around between rooms during the breaks rather than between each individual talk but if you need to leave the room early that's absolutely fine.
The venue can get busy
With thousands of people at the conference some of the rooms and spaces can get busy.
We have a quiet room available (look out for it on the map, on our signs, or ask a member of staff) if you need somewhere calm to sit.
You can also easily exit the building and be on the beach for some quiet.
If you want to wear earplugs, headphones or whatever you need that's absolutely fine with us. The venue staff are also trained to recognise sunflower lanyards.
There can be queues for popular sessions and sometimes we have to limit the number of people in each room. To make sure you get in and seated, it’s best to go to the room in the break before the session. If getting there quickly or waiting in queues is a problem then please come and talk to our staff at the Friends desk or email [email protected].
Watching talks
Each room has screens showing the speaker's slides behind them on a large screen and repeated on smaller screens throughout the room.
We have a number of priority seats reserved near the entrances and exits of the rooms so do use them if you need to. We also have spaces for wheelchair users.
Our friendly stage managers can help you find a suitable seat if you arrive before the talks start. They'll usually be based at the front of the room by the AV desk but a member of staff should be able to help you find them.
Toilets
Accessible disabled toilets are available throughout the building and there is a Changing Places toilet on the ground floor (you can collect the key from the Brighton Centre's information desk near the registration area).
Assistance on the day
If you require assistance or information on the day then please come along to the Friends Desk, on the ground floor towards the rear of the building or ask a member of staff.