Faculty Opportunity: Bring Your Next Conference to SFU with the MECS Ambassador Program
Faculty members looking to raise the profile of their research, department or professional field are invited to participate in SFU’s Meeting, Event and Conference Services (MECS) Ambassador Program. The program supports faculty in connecting conferences hosted in the region to meaningful engagement across the Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey campuses.
If you hold a role with an academic association, editorial board, technical committee, program planning group or other association where conference destinations are discussed, you have an opportunity to bring your conference to SFU.
Through the MECS Ambassador Program, we partner with you by providing planning expertise and campus access while helping showcase our campuses as host sites and strengthening your visibility and leadership within your field.
Why bid on hosting a conference?
Bidding to host a conference can feel like it sits outside day-to-day research responsibilities, yet it often creates lasting professional and academic value.
With MECS providing planning support and connections to local destination partners such as Destination Vancouver, Tourism Burnaby and the City of Surrey, faculty can focus on the academic content while the logistics and bid support are coordinated alongside you. By hosting an academic conference you can:
- Increase visibility for your research, lab and department
- Strengthen reputation and leadership within your discipline
- Build national and international collaborations and partnerships
- Attract future students, postdocs and research talent
- Create opportunities for meaningful exchange and impact in your field
- Connect industry, community and academic partners to your research
- Bring your professional network to SFU and showcase the region as a place where ideas and innovation thrives
Support from MECS
MECS partners with faculty through the bidding and hosting process, allowing you to focus on the academic program while we coordinate logistics and external partnerships.
- Proposal and bid support: Guidance on developing a competitive proposal including venues, accommodation, travel planning and program ideas.
- Integrated event coordination: Support with timelines, budgeting, logistics, sponsorship and submission processes to reduce administrative workload.
- Destination and institutional promotion: Curated materials and regional partner resources that highlight SFU’s campuses, facilities and academic strengths.
Together, conferences hosted through the program elevate faculty leadership, attract global collaborators and strengthen SFU’s reputation as a hub for research and exchange.
Explore the full range of MECS services at sfu.ca/mecs or contact the MECS team at meet@sfu.ca to learn more about the MECS Ambassador Program.