Tribal's Empower Conference is back - scroll down for the full agenda!
Our theme this year is Empowering the Core: Transforming Student Systems for University Success. We're embracing the immense potential of IT teams and SITS users in restructuring the educational landscape. Our two-day conference offers meaningful discussions and demonstrations of the role of university student systems, and the practical and strategic impact of your contributions. Join us too in celebrating your integral role at our Celebration of Success awards and gala dinner.
Sign up now and help us transform the future of SITS.
DATE
Tuesday 8 July &
Wednesday 9 July
LOCATION
DAYTIME: Sheffield Hallam University
EVENING: Cutler's Hall







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TICKET INFORMATION
2-DAY CONFERENCE TICKET
Cost: £175 + vat
- Access to all plenary and workshop sessions
- Access to all on-demand session content post-event
- Access to our sponsors exhibition space
- Food and refreshments throughout the day
- Delegate conference goody pack
- Ticket to the Celebration of Success awards and gala dinner
* Payment is via Purchase Order which will need to be supplied at the point of booking.
09:00 - 09:30
Registration
10:00 - 11:30
Plenary Session
11:30 - 12.00
Refreshments
12:00 - 13:00
What's New In SITS?
SITS version 11 marks a major release, which is indicative of the new direction that SITS is taking; a more standardised offering, based on cloud-first delivery, with an exclusively web-based presentation layer, and full suite of robust APIs. Learn about some of the many highlights in the newest version of the UK’s leading SMS.
Reducing Risk With Tribal Cloud v3
Minimise operational risks and modernise IT workflows with Tribal Cloud v3. This session outlines how advanced database technology reduces vulnerabilities while enhancing data management. Ideal for IT professionals and SITS developers aiming to future-proof their systems.
Standardising Processes To Drive Efficiency
Uncover how standardised processes can streamline your operations and reduce complexity in your day-to-day workflows, transforming operational efficiency and empowering you to maximise productivity.
13:00 - 14:00
Lunch
14:00 - 14:30
Transforming Higher Education Systems - Customer Panel
Pressure is mounting for Higher Education institutions to transform their systems and operations in a way which delivers greater efficiency at a lower total cost of ownership. In this panel session, we’ll discuss the practical ways we’re supporting customers as they embark on their individual journeys of transformation.
Testing With University Of Wolverhampton
The University of Wolverhampton take the testing of SITS environments very seriously. Working in partnership with Tribal during their migration to the Tribal Cloud, the university made sure their SITS environments were tested comprehensively. This session delves into that process.
ITS Malta's Transformation Journey
ITS Malta's migration to the Tribal Cloud heralded a new era at the institution. Aiming to overcome significant obstacles, and ensure improved and modern service delivery to students and staff, along with enhanced security measures, and the elimination of complex management burden. This session gives an open an honest update of their transformation journey, and includes lessons learnt along the way and their plans for the future.
Migrating to the Cloud with University of Exeter
In 2024, the University of Exeter successfully migrated SITS to the Tribal Cloud in record time. In this customer-led session you’ll hear how the university's trailblazing approach reinforces its dedication to digital progress and top-tier technology access for its students and staff. The session will highlight the flourishing partnership between the University of Exeter and Tribal, spanning 24 years, and discuss the shared vision of harnessing cutting-edge technology to transform educational potential.
14:30 - 15:30
HESA Data Futures
Dive into data compliance with this interactive session focusing on insights and updates from the HESA Data Futures project. Perfect for SITS users needing to stay ahead in data reporting and compliance requirements. Gain practical applications to ensure your institution meets its HESA obligations efficiently.
Connecting The Dots: Change Management Masterclass (PACT)
Explore best practices for implementing change in higher education. Targeted towards university administrators and IT professionals, this masterclass delivers actionable strategies for overcoming challenges and achieving seamless transformations. This session is delivered by our sponsor, PACT.
Managing Degree Apprenticeships With York St John University
See how through the use of MAYTAS ,York St John University more easily navigates Ofsted, have tools to identify learner risk factors, and how they are able optimise time spent on funding claims.
Charting the Future: Introducing the International Admissions (FLYWIRE)
The international student recruitment landscape is more dynamic and competitive than ever. Are your admissions processes truly prepared for what's next? In this workshop, Flywire, Tribal, and research partner Edified will unveil a ground-breaking, collaborative research project: the Admissions Navigator.
This initiative is born from a shared commitment to help universities not only understand the future of international admissions but actively shape it. We will share initial insights from our ongoing work with institutions across the sector to define what "best practice" will look like in the years to come.
15:30 - 16:00
Refreshments
16:00 - 16:30
Getting The Most Out Of HEFS: Timetabling in Action
Join us for a live demonstration of our current timetabling solution powered by Semestry —trusted by institutions today to manage complex scheduling needs with flexibility and control. This session will walk you through the key features and integrations that are delivering real value right now.
Getting The Most Out Of HEFS: Student Support and Wellbeing
This session will demonstrate all the latest innovations in our student support and wellbeing solution. All the powerful benefits of the solution are available now to those with a HEFS subscription.
Collaborating For Customer Success: An Informal Overview
Join us for an informal discussion with Tribal's dedicated Customer Success team covering the importance of collaboration in achieving success. This session highlights Tribal's role in bridging gaps to create meaningful partnerships and outcomes and is a chance to meet your Customer Success Consultant face to face.
Supporting Customers: An Informal Overview Of Customer Support, Business Advisory And Professional Services
Get a behind-the-scenes look at Tribal’s customer support operations. Designed for SITS users and administrators, this session will showcase how professional services and business advisory simplify processes to drive efficiency, ensuring a smoother user experience.
Managing Degree Apprenticeships With Maytas 6
Get a first look at our upcoming full SaaS degree apprenticeship platform, Maytas 6. Discover the technology which helps you navigate the likes of Ofsted, identify learner risk factors and how to optimise the time spent on funding claims.
16:30 - 17:00
Plenary Keynote and Close
With Adam Fox, CTO, Tribal
18:30 - 00:30
Celebration of Success Awards and Gala Dinner
10:00 - 10:30
Exhibition and Workshops
10:30 - 11:30
Beyond The Offer: Driving Enrolment Excellence (FLYWIRE)
Move beyond the theoretical to offer a practical look at how the integrated Flywire and Tribal solution transforms the admissions and enrollment process. We will address the key pressure points for modern universities, including the need to cater to a diverse student body, the demand for greater financial transparency, and the imperative to operate with maximum efficiency.
Attendees will learn how our joint solution empowers institutions to: Simplify the acceptance and payment process, Optimise international student enrolment, Foster best practices in financial administration, Future-proof your institution.
Overcoming Data And Integration Challenges In Higher Education
In this workshop, we’ll explore how adopting Data Products and Data Contracts is changing the way we define, manage, and govern data. Discover how these approaches enable more robust use of data, leverage the new data access layer, and help improve the management of system changes while providing greater clarity for integrations and reporting. We’ll share our evolving direction as we reimagine our approach, moving towards data domain and contract-based methods, and offer early insights into how these can better support the ever-changing requirements of higher education systems.
Standardising Processes To Drive Efficiency
Uncover how standardised processes can streamline your operations and reduce complexity in your day-to-day workflows, transforming operational efficiency and empowering you to maximise productivity. This session will leverage practical examples and interactive discussions, making it a must-attend for those interested in driving efficiency in their institutions.
What's New In SITS Exam?
Stay updated with the latest advancements in SITS Exam. This workshop for SITS users and developers showcases new features and tools designed to streamline exam management, improve user functionality, and enhance the overall experience.
11:30 - 12:00
Refreshments
12:00 - 13:00
Getting To The Cloud With V3
Join us for this panel discussion delving into the initiatives we’ve developed to help institutions migrate SITS to the Tribal Cloud easier, quicker and at lower cost than ever before.
Slipping Through the Cracks: A Focus on Proactive Student Support
With the release of the DfE's recently published "National review of higher education student suicide deaths" report, we focus on the recommendation for proactive support and look at use cases for how Tribal Student Support & Wellbeing combined with the Power Platform can assist teams in spotting potential student groups based on real data insights.
Beyond Manual: Smarter Testing Strategies For SITS
Discover how universities are accelerating deployments, reducing regression risk, and boosting confidence through best-practice test configurations, reusable libraries, and automation, all to deliver a better student experience.
This workshop is for developers, analysts, and system managers ready to move beyond manual SITS testing and adopt smarter, automated, and sustainable practices. Whether you're implementing SITS, migrating to the cloud, upgrading, or applying patches, this session will help you test smarter, not harder.
Reimagining Your Enrolment Process
Hear firsthand how we’re reimagining the enrolment process as part of our SITS roadmap. In this session we’ll cover the progress so far and explore the latest thinking in terms of the features and functionality needed to support the enrolment process into the future.
The Hidden Cost of Bad Data: How Contact Accuracy Impacts Every Stage of the Student Journey (AFD)
From prospectus requests to alumni fundraising, accurate student contact data underpins every stage of the student lifecycle. Yet across UK higher education, error rates remain stubbornly high - leading to missed communications, increased workload, and lost revenue. In this interactive panel session, we’ll explore how institutions are managing contact data within their student records systems, the impact of poor data quality on everything from safeguarding to statutory returns, and what can be done to proactively improve it. Join us as we share real-world examples (including a Q&A session which includes UCL and Arden University) invite audience input, and discuss practical strategies for turning data from a liability into an asset.
13:00 - 14:00
Lunch
14:00 - 15:30 (Session lengths vary)
Dramatically Faster Admissions, Visas and Immigration
Starting at 13.30: Join us for this interactive workshop exploring the features and functionality we’re building into Tribal Admissions, and discuss how these could help revolutionise your admissions process, reducing delays and improving efficiency.
Plus, take your CAS request processing to the next level with Tribal Visas and Immigration. Reduce system maintenance overheads, increase CAS processing efficiency and reduce UKVI compliance risk. Come to use the Admissions CAS request process, integrated with SITS Admissions blueprints, and provide feedback that may help shape the future direction of the product.
Good Looking Policy vs Bad Looking Data
Do your data retention policies look good, but your data doesn’t? This interactive workshop will introduce the functionality available in SITS to delete previous student data and apply retention policies. We’ll consider the concept of a core student record and review a worked example. We’ll also consider to what extent such a process can be automated. Join in if you’re interested in GDPR, student data structures or have ever wondered ‘why do we still have that student’s personal statement from 10 years ago?
From Chaos to Clarity: Building Strategy with Smart Timetabling powered by Semestry
This session will explore how strategic timetabling can drive clarity and better decision-making across institutions. Through a moderated discussion with guests Sue Brown (Head of Timetabling Services, Manchester Metropolitan University), Lucie Belgrave (Business Analyst, University of Hull) and Richie Hutchinson (Timetabling Systems Manager, Northumbria University), we’ll surface practical insights and illustrate how the timetable plays a vital role beyond operational scheduling.
Working In Harmony: SITS And Maytas
Discover how integrating SITS and MAYTAS, provides you with the functionality across the full apprentice lifecycle. To ensure that at critical times like Ofsted inspection, audit or apprenticeships accountability framework reporting, you are using the same single source of truth.
Project Management Strategy: Tactics vs Techniques
Explore the balance between tactical approaches and strategic techniques in project management. This workshop is ideal for administrators and leaders seeking to refine their project execution skills.
Turning Potential Into Expertise: Tribal Future Talent Programme
Empowering the workforce of tomorrow starts today. This interactive Q&A session highlights Tribal’s Future Talent Programme, focusing on upskilling and career pathways for a career using SITS. Don’t miss this opportunity to speak to some of our recent graduates and those currently working through the latest programme.
The Future Of University Marketing And Recruitment
Explore emerging trends and tools reshaping university marketing and student recruitment strategies. Gain insights into data-driven techniques to attract high-quality applicants. Tailored for higher education leaders and marketing professionals eager to stay competitive.
Lessons from UCA: Scaling SITS with Smart Integrations (AMOS)
Discover how the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) transformed its student systems landscape by delivering 13 powerful integrations across key domains, including Student Recruitment, Accommodation, Learning Management, and Finance. This session will explore how these smart, automated integrations have lifted the operational burden from UCA’s teams, freeing them from routine log-checking and time-consuming troubleshooting, while delivering a seamless, joined-up experience for students. Learn practical lessons from UCA’s journey to a more scalable, integrated SITS environment, and how thoughtful connectivity can drive both efficiency and student satisfaction.
15:30
Conference Close
DAYTIME VENUE:
SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY
Sheffield Hallam University (Owen Building)
Hallam Square
Sheffield City Centre
S1 2LX
United Kingdom
EVENING VENUE:
CUTLER'S HALL
7-15 Church St
Sheffield City Centre
S1 1HG
United Kingdom

GETTING TO SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY
WALKING
The Owen Building is a very short walk up from Sheffield Train Station.
BY CAR
There is no parking available on-site.
The nearest public car parks are:
Arundel Gate, S1 6DG
Q-Park Charles Street, S1 2NJ
BY TRAIN
The City of Sheffield is on the main line running between London and Edinburgh providing regular trains through the city.