As Professional Conference Organiser for the World Congress of Soil Science, Speakeasy worked in partnership with the International Union of Soil Science (IUSS) and the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) to deliver one of the world’s leading scientific congresses at the SEC Glasgow. Planned throughout the challenges of the pandemic, the event was successfully adapted into a hybrid format, ensuring global accessibility and enabling participation from the international soil science community.
Speakeasy provided full project management, secretariat services and end-to-end event delivery, supporting nearly 1,700 delegates and 500 speakers. Across six days, the congress featured 68 sessions, 947 hybrid poster presentations, 37 exhibitors, 32 satellite meetings and 12 fringe events, all supported by our conference app, virtual platform and hybrid event expertise. Alongside the scientific programme, delegates enjoyed a welcome reception, gala dinner and a series of post-congress tours.
The congress delivered strong commercial and sustainability outcomes, generating £230,000 in sponsorship and exhibition income and achieving £154,000 profit on a £1 million budget—more than three times the original target. The surplus enabled the creation of a bursary fund to support future attendance from lower-income economies. Delivered as a paperless event with a strong focus on reducing waste and reusing materials, the congress received multiple sustainability awards and was praised by organisers for the professionalism, commitment and collaborative approach of the Speakeasy team.