10 Second Challenge takes conference by (Blue)storm!

The Hit The Perfect 10 Challenge unleashed the competitive streak in delegates at one of the biggest events in the further education (FE) calendar, with nearly 150 visitors to the Bluestorm stand attempting to stop the buzzer after exactly 10 seconds.

In the end, five competitors tied at the top of the leaderboard, with four of them stopping the clock on the exact same time of 10.02 seconds and another hitting 9.98 seconds.

It went to a prize draw to confirm the winner, with Scott Austin from Yeovil College the name pulled out of the hat to claim the bragging rights and the prize of a £100 Amazon voucher. Congratulations, Scott!

A busy two days in Birmingham

Beyond the buzzer-beating excitement, this year’s conference once again delivered two packed days of conversations, insights and inspiration with hot topics including the impact of AI, adult education, student wellbeing and the responsibility of colleges to address local and national skills gaps.

Dan and Vicky from the Bluestorm team loved meeting people from across the sector who share our passion for education. Whether visitors stopped by our stand to take part in our challenge, enjoy a cold drink or reenergise with a snack, we had lots of conversations about the future of FE and how we can support colleges to achieve their goals. A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to visit our stand.

Attending the awards dinner

In between two packed days in the exhibition hall, we had the delight of attending the AoC awards dinner, providing plenty of mingling amongst the sector specialists and guest speakers. It was also a pleasure to catch-up with existing clients at the event too.

The evening was a celebration amongst the FE colleges of the awe-inspiring achievements and determination of their students, with nominees for the following awards categories:

• Adult Student of the Year (19+) sponsored by Gateway Qualifications

• Young Student of the Year (16 to 18) sponsored by Edge

• Apprentice of the Year sponsored by Association of Colleges

• Higher Education Student of the Year sponsored by QAA

• AQA Inspiring Project Award

 It was so heart-warming to hear from these students with their motivation for change, breaking down barriers and battling challenges – a huge congratulations to the winners and also to the runners-up. You can hear from each of the students on the AoC website.

The event was opened and closed by North Kent College’s performing arts students, featuring emotive performances from their dance team and an incredible performance from a very talented singer.

Marketing support from the education experts

We’re a full-service marketing agency with over 25 years’ experience in the education sector. Everything we do is handled in-house – from website design, digital marketing and advertising to creative design, print and video production.

We’ve worked with colleges nationwide, delivering award-winning campaigns that drive results, enhance reputation and boost student recruitment. With 22 awards under our belt (and counting), we’re proud of the impact we’ve made for our clients and we’re always looking for new ways to help colleges thrive.

If we didn’t get the chance to chat – or you’d like to pick up where we left off – we’d love to continue the conversation.

Get in touch and let’s talk about what’s possible for your college.