Higher Education Smart
Campus Association (HESCA)
HESCA’s aim is to provide Higher Education establishments with a platform for debate on smart card technology issues relevant to their business objectives.
HESCA endeavours to provide an opportunity to explore the technology in detail; the standards, software, hardware, applications and integration, aiming to develop a mechanism by which a series of cost-effective solutions is available to its members.
This Forum meets quarterly, including an annual two-day Conference & Exhibition. The main focus is the on-campus functions supported by smart campus cards and, in the near future, by smartphones. There are some 20 candidate functions, including access control, attendance monitoring, cashless catering & vending, library activities, campus payments, society memberships, examinee validation and identity assurance. Meetings are chaired by an HEI representative, and are attended by smart campus service providers, HEIs, FEIs and specialist consultants.
2025/26 HESCA Meeting Dates
Smartex’s annual two-day Conference & Exhibition for HESCA
24th & 25th March 2026
Brasenose College Oxford, Radcliffe Square, Oxford OX1 4AJ
Free to invited HEI/FEIs!
HESCA (the Higher Education Smart Campus Association) has pleasure in inviting you and/or a colleague to attend its annual conference and exhibition – HESCA26 – taking place on 24th and 25th March 2026 at Brasenose College, University of Oxford.
HESCA26 is the latest in a series of similar successful events that Smartex has run over the past 10 years in locations such as Southampton, Nottingham, Glasgow, Cardiff, Bristol, Brighton, Warwick, Loughborough and Cambridge.
Attendance at HESCA26 is free-of-charge to invited non-member HEIs and FEIs and to all HESCA members (with attendance on both days counting as one day’s membership entitlement). Other non-members may attend at a cost of £220 + VAT per day per delegate.
We recognise that HEIs and FEIs are feeling the financial pinch, and that any investments in smart campus technology must be offset by cost savings or increases in revenue. Accordingly, we have built this into the fabric of our planned topics for HESCA26.
HESCA26 Conference Agenda Outline
The following main themes and topics are planned:
- Keynote session: Brasenose College
- How smart technology is vital for tomorrow’s campus
- What students need, and indeed expect, from tomorrow’s smart campus
- How can smart technology save money in the long-term, and help to ensure a more cost-effective modern smart campus
- Smart payments & catering solutions for Universities
- Accommodating the new catering environments
- Martyn’s Law and the impact on the security landscape within Universities
- Identity and security considerations: authentication and authorisation
- Streamlining student enrolment/registration
- Changing student perceptions towards Attendance in Higher Education
- The future of access control on campus
- Migration to secure technologies for access control systems
- Empowering education through Mobile Solutions
- Integrating biometrics within migration to mobile
- Cyber Security and the roll of Passkeys
- The role of AI in the smart campus
- Embracing smart technology for a sustainable smart campus
- Can smarter IT ever pass the business-case test?
HESCA26 Exhibition
As always, leading suppliers of smart campus solutions will be on-hand throughout the event to demonstrate their new systems offerings, and you will have ample opportunities to talk to other HEI/FEIs about their experiences of developing a smart campus.
Cocktail reception on 24th March
Our traditional cocktail reception will be held in the late afternoon of 24th March in the exhibition room, to provide further opportunities for delegates, speakers and exhibitors to meet and share experiences and requirements.
Evening dinner on 24th March
The popular event dinner is taking place at 7.15pm on the evening of 24th March at a local restaurant (venue t.b.c.). Delegates, speakers and exhibitors may reserve places with us for this dinner at their own cost (approx. £50 + VAT per head).
What’s included in the deal?
Included within these arrangements will be:
- Participation at all sessions on both days
- Access to all available presentation material
- Refreshments on arrival and throughout both days, including two buffet luncheons and the drinks reception on the evening of 24th March
Overnight accommodation
We have reserved a limited number of rooms for night(s) of 23rd and/or 24th March at Brasenose College at the following preferential prices (ROOM ONLY):
BOTH nights of 23rd & 24th March in main Event Site
- Ensuite Single Room @ £136.80 incl. VAT:
- Go to https://www.universityrooms.com/en-GB/eventcode?ec=HESCA26MAIN&vid=brasenoseoxford
- Enter code: HESCA26MAIN
Night of 24th March ONLY in Frewin site (5 min walk from main event site)
- Single ensuites in Frewin Garden building @ £136.80
- Double Premium ensuites in Frewin Hall @ £168.00
- Single Premium ensuites in Frewin Hall @ £192.00
- Go to: https://www.universityrooms.com/en-GB/eventcode?ec=HESCAFREWIN&vid=brasenosecollegefrewinnewbuild
- Enter code: HESCAFREWIN
How to register to attend HESCA26
To book your place at HESCA26, please complete the online booking form.
If you have any questions relating to HESCA26, or if your organisation would be interested in becoming a sponsor/exhibitor, please contact me at annabel@smartex.com or on +44 (0)7785 254405.