Conference History

A Brief History of the Academy of Marketing Conference

The 2017 AM Conference was the 50th Conference of what is now known as the Academy of Marketing. This numbering is based on the article “How old is MEG?” written by Raymond J. Lawrence, in which he describes the birth of the conference, and the organisation:

“The first convened meeting of marketing teachers in the U.K. took place in Harrogate on June 22-23, 1966. Ray Lawrence, then newly appointed to a first Chair in Marketing set up at Lancaster University, had written to all full-time teachers of marketing he could identify at Polytechnics, Technical Colleges, Universities and management training centres, suggesting that mutual interests would justify a conference. Thirty-eight U.K. marketing academics and five guests attended. A further 12 teachers were invited but were unable to come due to prior commitments.”

The sequence of events started by this conference led to the official birth of MEG (the Marketing Education Group) in 1972, which was renamed the Academy of Marketing at the 1996 AGM.

We have compiled the listing below from the article and the organisation’s records. However, if you have any more information, or indeed records or copies of proceedings you would like to donate to the Academy, please contact the admin office at [email protected].

YEARLOCATION/HOST – THEMENO.
2024Cardiff University – Marketing: Fusing resilience and power for public value – igniting marketing’s social spirit56
2023University of Birmingham – From Revolution to Revolutions55
2022University of Huddersfield – Marketing: The Fabric of Life54
2021Academy of Marketing Virtual Conference – Reframing Marketing Priorities53
2020Conference cancelled due to Coronavirus Pandemic 
2019Regent’s University London – When You Tire of Marketing You Tire of Life52
2018University of Stirling – Marketing the Brave51
2017University of Hull – Freedom Through Marketing: Looking Back, Going Forward50
2016Northumbria University – Radical Marketing49
2015University of Limerick – The Magic in Marketing48
2014Bournemouth University – Marketing Dimensions: People, Places & Spaces47
2013University of South Wales – Marketing Relevance46
2012University of Southampton Management School – Marketing: catching the technology wave45
2011University of Liverpool Management School – Marketing Fields Forever44
2010Coventry University – Transformational Marketing43
2009Leeds Metropolitan University – Putting Marketing in its Place42
2008Aberdeen Business School – Reflective Marketing in a Material World41
2007Kingston Business School – Marketing Theory into Practice40
2006Middlesex University Business School – Marketing Excellence39
2005Dublin Institute of Technology – Marketing: Building Business, Shaping Society38
2004University of Gloucestershire – Virtue in Marketing37
2003Aston Business School – History of the Next Decade36
2002University of Nottingham – The Marketing Landscape: signs for the future35
2001Cardiff University – A Marketing Odyssey34
2000University of Derby – Bridging the Divide33
1999University of Stirling – New Marketing, New Relevance – education and innovation for the next generation32
1998Sheffield Hallam University – Adding Value Through Marketing31
1997Manchester Metropolitan University –  Marketing without Borders30
1996University of Strathclyde – 2021 – A vision for the next 25 years29
1995University of Bradford –  Making Marketing Work28
1994University of Ulster – Marketing Unity in Diversity  (& 1st Doctoral Colloquium)27
1993Loughborough University Business School –  Emerging Issues in Marketing26
1992University of Salford – Marketing in the New Europe and Beyond25
1991Cardiff Business School – Preparing Marketing for the New Millennium24
1990Oxford Polytechnic – Recent Developments in Marketing23
1989Glasgow Business School – Marketing Audit of the 80s22
1988Huddersfield Polytechnic – Marketing – Past, present and future21
1987Warwick University – Reviewing Effective Research and Good Practice in Marketing20
1986Plymouth Polytechnic – Managing Marketing19
1985University of Stirling – Marketing in the 90s and Beyond18
1984Institute of Marketing, Cookham  – Marketing Education – Education for Marketing17
1983Cranfield School of Management – Back to Basics: the 4Ps revisited16
1982Lancaster University Marketing – Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice15
1981Dublin, College of Marketing & Design – Marketing – Future Imperfect14
1980Heriot Watt – Marketing into the ‘80s (joint with EAARM)13
1979Bristol – New Directions in Marketing and Research12
1978Hull College of Higher Education Workshops – Marketing Education / Recessional Marketing / Marketing Theory and Practice11
1977London Business School – Developments in Marketing – Theory, Practice and Teaching10
1976Strathclyde – Buyer Behaviour9
1975Norwich – Marketing Is … The Latest Thing8
1974University of Lancaster – Marketing as a Non-American Activity7
1973University of Kent at Canterbury6
1972University of Keele5
1971University of Keele – “1st” National Marketing Teacher’s Conference4
1970No meeting
1969Ashridge –  Seminar (not counted as a full conference)
1968Harrogate – Teachers of Marketing at advanced level3
1967Harrogate – Teaching of Marketing Conference2
1966Harrogate –  First convened meeting of marketing teachers in the UK1
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