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Register now for the BIG Best Demo Competition 2012! Now in its 16th year we invite you to demonstrate something that really lights your fire and you just can’t help but show off to your peers. You have three minutes, a welcoming audience and the chance to win the prestigious Best Demo Award to display on your desk, in your shed or sliding across the dashboard of your van.
www.big.uk.com/bigevent

It’s that time of year for getting out and about and exploring. So I just wanted to remind you all that your BIG Membership Card allows you free entry to selected UK Science Centres and Museums.  For a full and up-to-date list of participating Centres, visit www.big.uk.com/benefits.

Fancy playing a key role in the future direction of THE skills-sharing network for STEM communicators and engagement professionals? Places on BIG’s Executive Committee are up for grabs and will be appointed at the AGM in July. A chance to hone your management skills! Find out more www.big.uk.com/agm

The BIG Event is a prestigious conference that brings together 150+ STEM engagement and associated professionals from across the UK to share skills and experiences, develop professional links and keep up-to-date with the STEM engagement field.

Three whole days of workshops, shows and discussion groups covering topics such as:

- Making the most of emotions in science communication
- Getting into teachers’ heads, universities’ heads and even your own head
- Looking after your intellectual property
- Explorations in training staff
- How to get money
- How to deal with not getting money
- Marketing on a shoestring
- Workshops on competitions, maths, dialogue, physics, Olympics, exhibits …

At just £100 a day (which includes annual membership and a nice lunch) what are you waiting for?

www.big.uk.com/bigevent

BIG Event 2012 - National Railway Museum, York 25 - 27 July

Announcing bursaries to attend this year's BIG Event 2012 in York. View the application criteria and download an application form here: www.big.uk.com/bigevent

Are you looking to improve and develop skills for maths outreach? Do you currently do public engagement in maths and want to improve, or are you looking to try and incorporate the 'M in STEM' into your work? BIG’s forthcoming skills day on Maths Communication will be held on 8th May in Manchester. www.big.uk.com/maths

While you’re waiting for this year's BIG Event conference programme to unfurl, here’s something to whet your appetite:
Wednesdays get bigger - This year for the first time the BIG Event will run for a full three days, starting with a day dedicated to providing delegates with resources to expand their portfolio of activities including:
Getting sponsorship for the very first time: top 10 tips to help you understand how to approach companies to raise between £500 and £5,000 for a local project.
Marketing on a shoestring: hints and tips on how to market your event, centre or service at very low (or no) cost.
Smarter UK training: a half-day workshop that GIVES you all the resources and training to run a new facilitated discussion session for schools. Smarter UK comes to you fully developed with teachers’ resources for your organisation to incorporate into its schools offer. Smarter UK is devised by Graphic Science and funded by the Wellcome Trust.

As part of BIG's role in promoting excellence in science communication we are pleased to announce our upcoming skills day:

People Power... the Science of Engaging Audiences.

Our one-day course will concentrate on explaining, exploring and workshopping, audience interaction and volunteer engagement techniques. This course enables even the most experienced of presenters to enhance their science demonstrations by making the most out of their audience contributions.

The day is split into a series of practical and theoretical challenges, which help participants practice techniques whilst allowing them to explore their application to their own specific presentations and workshops.

Date: Monday 2nd April
Venue: At-Bristol Science Centre, Bristol
Cost: £40 for BIG Members (includes refreshments and lunch)

Non-members will need to join BIG first to participate, at a cost of £30 for annual membership.

Register here: www.big.uk.com/events

Prices for this year's BIG Event are as frozen as the roads! Conference fees are the same as 2011 and the "early bird" rate returns! Register and pay before 31 March to get a full £50 off! And if that's not exciting enough, this year the conference will be held over THREE FULL DAYS!

Call for session proposals is now open! If you have an idea for a conference session, please click on www.big.uk.com/bigevent and get your form in before 3rd Feb!