Loughborough University (East Midlands Campus)
The conference will be hosted at the Loughborough University campus in Loughborough, UK. Our superb campus is based in the heart of England and is the University’s most glorious asset. With world-class facilities and plenty of green open space, it has everything our students, staff, and visitors need on site. For keynote lectures involving all delegates, we will use a lecture theatre (562 seats) in the Edward Herbert Building (EHB), situated amongst elite sports facilities and with a bar and restaurant on site. For all other sessions, we will use the James France Building (150 m from the EHB), as well as the central James France exhibition area. This will include four large lecture theatres (280, 264, 201, 120 seats) and smaller classrooms (~50 seats) as appropriate to the nature of the session.
Local area
Loughborough is a thriving market town in Leicestershire, England. About halfway between Leicester and Nottingham, only a short train ride from London, and with great transport links, Loughborough is an easy place to get to. The bustling town centre (1.5 km from campus) provides shoppers and visitors with a fantastic range of shops, restaurants, bars, venues and services. It offers a variety of shopping and dining options to suit all tastes. There is no shortage of pubs, clubs and bars.
The location is also ideal for exploring the cities of Nottingham, Leicester and Derby, as well as being close to a variety of tourist attractions such as the Peak District, Sherwood Forest and the National Space Centre. The town is close to some fantastic countryside. The rocky Charnwood Forest to the west was recently replanted to create the heart of the National Forest. It contains some of the oldest rocks and fossils in Britain. In the centre of the area is the broad flat plain of the River Soar, and to the east are the rounded rolling hills of the Leicestershire Wolds – with some of England’s loveliest and most unspoilt villages. Close by is Bradgate Park (dating from at least 1240) with roaming herds of red and fallow deer.
July and August are the warmest months and comprise the traditional English summer. Average temperatures in Loughborough at this time of year are 16.7°C (62°F) with realistic highs of 20.5°C (69°F). Rainfall is relatively low at this time of year, although the weather may vary daily.
Address
James France Building, Margaret Keay Rd, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK, LE11 3TU
Visa requirements
At present, around 90 different nationalities do not require a visa to enter the UK for stays of up to 6 months. Other nationalities require some form of visa, Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) or Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). All attendees are encouraged to check their requirement for a visa using the UK government self-check tool below. If you require a letter to support your visa application process after registering for the conference, please contact info@isbs2026.com
Transport
For detailed guidance, please visit the ‘How to find us’ page on the Loughborough University website:
Travelling by air
Just 7 miles away, East Midlands Airport (EMA) is the closest airport to the Loughborough campus. The airport links to destinations mainly in the UK and Europe. From EMA, the Skylink Derby bus can be caught into Loughborough town (30 mins), where the Sprint bus can then be used to access the campus (12 mins). For more detail, see the ‘Getting to Loughborough from East Midlands Airport’ section below.
Birmingham International Airport (BHX) is a larger airport that serves more global destinations. A free air-rail link directly connects the airport with Birmingham International train station. Unfortunately there isn’t a direct train from Birmingham to Loughborough, and the journey takes between 1.5-2 hours. Car hire options are available at the airport and the drive takes around an hour (depending on traffic!).
London Stansted (STN) and London Luton (LTN) airports both serve destinations in Europe, Middle East and North Africa (EMEA region). Budget airlines such as Easyjet and Ryanair offer a large number of flights from Luton and Stansted, respectively. Luton Airport is directly connected to Luton Airport Parkway station via the DART monorail system; from where trains to Loughborough take approximately 1.5 hours. It is possible to travel from Stansted to Loughborough by train but it is much quicker in a hire car (~2 hours).
The largest selection, and most likely the cheapest flights, will be to/from London Heathrow (LHR) or London Gatwick (LGW) airports, particularly from long-haul destinations. Both are only 2.5 hours train journey to Loughborough. A range of public transport options link the two airports to London St Pancras International station, from where there are direct trains to Loughborough (see Travelling by Rail, below). The Transport for London website is particularly useful for navigating London’s public transport system.
Getting to Loughborough from East Midlands Airport
East Midlands Airport (EMA) is a short 20-minute car journey from campus and there are both taxi companies and car hire providers that operate from the airport. In addition, Kinchbus run a 24/7 SkyLink bus service to/from Loughborough and East Midlands Airport approximately every 20 minutes. More information on the route and fares can be found on the Kinchbus website.
To take public transport from EMA to Loughborough University accommodation (e.g. Claudia Parsons student halls of residence, Burleigh Court, or The Link Hotel), head to Bay D of the Coach Park, and catch the Skylink Derby bus heading towards Leicester. Get off the bus at the Derby Road Stop (Stand DA) and walk 2 minutes down Derby Road to The Rushes bus stop (Stand RA). From there you can pick up the Sprint bus towards campus, and alight at the Student Union for Claudia Parsons student halls of residence, Engineering for Burleigh Court Hotel, or Holywell Park for The Link Hotel.
To catch the Skylink bus from EMA to Loughborough town centre, head to Bay D of the Coach Park and catch the Skylink Derby bus heading towards Leicester. If your accommodation is in Loughborough town centre, is it best to get off at the Derby Road stop (Stand DA) for the Travelodge, or stay on the bus for another two stops to Aumberry Gap for the Premier Inn.
Travelling by rail
Loughborough train station is located 2.5 miles from Loughborough University and the campus is easily reached in 20 minutes by bus. There are direct trains to Loughborough from London St Pancras International station that leave several times every hour and take less that 1.5 hours. Eurostar services also terminate at St Pancras, making it easy to transition to domestic rail services. From the bus stand located at Loughborough train station, the Sprint bus can be caught to the University campus (see ‘Getting around Loughborough’ section, below).
Travelling by coach or bus
Coach and bus services operate to/from the centre of Loughborough. Travel by National Express or regional bus services to Loughborough, then connect with the local Sprint bus service to the Loughborough University campus (see ‘Getting around Loughborough’ section, below).
Travelling by car
Loughborough’s nearest motorway link is the M1, which runs north from London; the campus is just 2 miles from junction 23. The University is clearly signed on all other main approach roads to Loughborough. Please make your way to the entrance, where you will be greeted by our Security who will be able to direct for parking.
Getting around Loughborough
Kinchbus is the main bus operator for Loughborough and Leicester, providing lots of routes to help you get around during your stay in Loughborough. Their Sprint bus service runs every 10 minutes and links the University with the town centre and station. More information on routes and fares can be found on the Kinchbus website.
For those staying at the Travelodge, Premier Inn, or other accommodation in Loughborough town centre, the Sprint bus service runs every 10 minutes from Loughborough Station, alongside taxis. If you take the bus from Loughborough station, alight at Ashby Square (Stand AA), for a short walk to your hotel destination. This is the stand you can also use to catch the same bus through to campus for the conference.