Event Management

Whatever a student’s future business career, there are certain basic professional skills and expertise that are required in the workplace. This module provides opportunities to acquire and apply essential skills for academic success, while also developing ‘soft skills’ that are a prerequisite for a successful career. Students will practice, and build confidence in wide ranging skills, as part of their transition into higher education.

This module will help students develop basic research skills as part of individual work on a topic of their choice. They will also enhance their communication and negotiation skills; and increase awareness of the importance of evidence-based thinking and reflective practice.

This module introduces students to the broad context of events and analyses how the industry, profession and academic discipline have evolved.  Key aspects of the module include investigating the political, economic and social environment that impacts on events and the impact that events can have on a local, national and global scale. The role of event management will be located within the broader debate concerning responsible management, corporate social responsibility and ethics.

This module aims to provide a foundation for students to develop their understanding of the relationship between the global tourism, hospitality and events industries. The scope and scale of these areas will be explored and the functions, characteristics and key players of each industry will be investigated. Study of these closely connected industries will enable students to appreciate the multi stakeholder perspective of a sustainable event management industry.

This module develops the core skills that will enable students to secure a fulfilling, enjoyable and challenging graduate career. By establishing and pursuing a personal development plan, students develop self-awareness, communication skills, team work, management skills, results orientation, stress management, personal responsibility, coaching and feedback skills.  Whilst there will be a focus on constructing outstanding CVs and professional LinkedIn profiles, much of the module will instil self-awareness through peer coaching and peer feedback whilst stressing the vital importance of taking responsibility for one’s own career. Students will be able to plan and develop career goals based on a clearer idea of preferred career options and an understanding of what they need to do to achieve these goals.

This module will begin to equip students with the practical skills and knowledge needed to deliver safe and successful events, alongside understanding how it ensure the safety and well-being of its attendees. The module will explore the creative process of designing events, staging, audio-visual equipment and event production techniques.  Students will explore international approaches to event design and they will begin to identify common event hazards and UK legislation; which affects a variety of planned events. Risk management methods, health and safety directives and sustainability guidelines will be investigated so that students begin to develop the skills and knowledge required to deliver live events.

This module provides an introduction to the concepts, theories and practices of marketing.  The meaning and scope of modern marketing will be discussed in depth; considering its role as both a management philosophy and a business function. Traditional marketing concepts such as the marketing mix will be explored, examining the need to create synergy between marketing mix components and the wants and needs of the market place.  Students will be encouraged to develop critical marketing perspective considering the impact marketing has on the economy, society and the environment.

The emergence of the digital economy has unlocked new opportunities for businesses, whilst creating new modes of competition in both traditional and new sectors of the economy.  The aim of this module is to impart an understanding of digital business together with the practices and processes required to develop effective digital strategies.  Identifying multiple technologies for integration into business, juxtaposed with the development of new digital strategies is central to corporate success, however, this is often a complex task.  This module provides insight into the emergence of digital business, key concepts, technologies, and strategic organisation to develop a multidisciplinary appreciation of how new technologies can directly shape businesses and processes.

This module equips non-accounting students with the basic financial skills they will need to progress through their management-related degree studies. Students will learn the fundamental processes behind the production of historic financial information, allowing them to conduct analysis of financial statements. Additionally, students will develop knowledge of cost behaviours and forecasting, allowing them to make decisions such as how to price their product. The module allows students to bring together their financial skills by preparing extracts from a business plan as part of an application for finance. Emphasis will be placed on practical skills relevant to entrepreneurs and small business owners.

This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the techniques used within marketing research through an applied and practical approach. Students will learn about some of the most common approaches of data collection in the form of questionnaires, interviews and focus groups etc. The module will cover how these marketing research instruments are designed and distributed. In addition to this, students will learn how to analyse the data that results from these research instruments. Through this module students will develop several research skills further aiding their academic ability and employability.

This module aims to equip students with a clear understanding of the journey of event planning from conception including pre-event marketing and how to present, manage and secure an effective and successful event. Students will also understand more about the programming of events and how best to promote their event to their audience. Students will also understand areas such as managing client expectations, venue and supplier choice, risk management and they will analyse the ‘why’ of event planning. Students will look at the impact of events on the environment, manage the event schedule and highlight areas of concern for future events.

This module aims to provide a foundation for students to develop their understanding of marketing research methods for academic and professional purposes. Students will explore a number of areas of marketing research including; the use of both primary and secondary data; an introduction to quantitative and qualitative research; and creating research samples. In addition, students will develop an appreciation of ethical implications of the research process to facilitate responsible research practice. The module provides an introduction to the market research industry and relates research skills learned in the module to real-life application in business.

The meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions industry (MICE) has an important role to play in today's global business environment. This module will explore the importance of the industry and the critical issues facing managers within the industry such as the use of virtual conferencing to support sustainable business practises. Specifically, the module will equip students with the underpinning knowledge of this sector of event management including the characteristics of corporate and association conferences and consumer and trade shows and how to effectively meet the needs of specific market segments. Students will explore strategies for successful exhibiting and the module aims to improve students’ negotiation and communication skills.

This module considers both the theoretical and practical aspects of integrated marketing communications. Theories of communication influence are explored, with emphasis on how the communication tools (advertising, personal selling, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing and digital marketing) can be synthesized to enable the delivery of consistent brand messages across multiple marketing channels.   Students will be encouraged to identify the salient characteristics of target audiences to facilitate the utilisation of relevant communication tools in order to amplify vital marketing messages.

This module aims to provide a foundation for students to develop their understanding of the ambidextrous nature of the hospitality and tourism industries, and sustainable strategies to overcome issues related to the nature of both industries. The scope of these strategies will be explored, and the outcomes discussed. This module will enable students to appreciate the relevance of Organisational Ambidexterity in hospitality and tourism management.

Sporting and mega events have specific characteristics and tremendous global significance and these themes will form the basis for this module.  Specifically students will critically analyse the bidding process, how major events are funded and the relationship between these events and the media. Legacy and sport tourism will be discussed and students will investigate large scale event operations including the complexities of crowd management.

• Creativity, Design and Innovation - 15 credits
• Relationship Marketing - 15 credits
• Volunteering - 15 credits

This module provides the opportunity for students to research an area of particular interest to them that is relevant to their studies.  For students undertaking a year-long work placement the dissertation may be set in the context of the host organisation.  The module contributes to the continued professional and academic development of students in the application of research knowledge and skills acquired throughout their programme.  As students are required to manage the research project, the dissertation provides a vehicle for them to demonstrate the extent to which they have managed the transition from tutor-led to student-centred learning.

*Students must opt for one of the following modules: Dissertation; Researching Contemporary Issues in Management; Part-Time Work Placement

This module aims to develop students’ ability to critically evaluate approaches to research and data analysis relating to contemporary management issues faced by organisations operating in a global and diverse context.  Students will have the opportunity to select research and critically assess a range of contemporary management issues in depth.  Enquiry-based learning methods will be used to explore the nature and implications of these issues with emphasis placed upon how managers can contribute to the effective management of these issues in practice.

*Students must opt for one of the following modules: Dissertation; Researching Contemporary Issues in Management; Part-Time Work Placement

The Part-time Work Placement module requires students to work in partnership with host organisations in the private or public sectors with an interest in educating students for the demands of the complex world of work. Students undertake a skills audit before being accepted on to the scheme and will only be considered for this module if they have an attendance record in year two of at least 80%. The outcomes from this, and the availability of appropriate placement and academic supervisors, will determine whether students can proceed with this module. Decisions on suitability will rest with the Programme Leader. Students will be involved in the tracking of employability skills and in personal development planning. The placement will require students to spend 30 full working days in the placement organisation.

*Students must opt for one of the following modules: Dissertation; Researching Contemporary Issues in Management; Part-Time Work Placement

This module will prepare students to practice digital marketing in the workplace. Digital marketing tools, models, frameworks and concepts will be considered within the context of the future of marketing, specifically the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Schwab 2019) and Transformative Marketing (2016). Digital Marketing topics will be applied and evaluated including the evolution of digital marketing, the digital macro-environment, digital marketing strategy, digital media and the marketing mix, relationship marketing and digital platforms, the digital customer experience, content marketing, and digital marketing analytics.

The concept of culture is at the heart of this module and as such, it will be analysed and critically evaluated with reference to key theories and international case studies.  The socially constructed concept of culture will be explored in relation to the arts, heritage and tourism. As culture is clearly founded on the notion of people, the social, economic and political significance of cultural events will be closely examined. In many cases, these features can also be related to the environmental context and significance in which an event is situated.

This module will enable students to advance their exploration of both modern management practises within the industry and the findings and relevance of current research publications. Various themes will be explored each week and students will undertake independent research to explore trends and their impacts. This module will also enable students to investigate specific career paths within the industry and begin preparation for their next step into employment within the industry or onto further study.

Whilst students may understand several areas of marketing they need to be able to measure the return on investment. The plethora of marketing data available due to digital advances means this is an increasingly complex area of management. This module aims to develop understanding by introducing students to digital marketing analytics. From the marketing objectives that drive a business, to decision making, students will learn about the variety of data sources available to them and which metrics can be useful. Through lectures, seminars and workshops, students will enhance their analytical skills and gain practical insights for academic and professional endeavours.

• Business Ethics - 15 credits
• Launching a Business Start Up - 15 credits
• Values Studies - 15 credits
• Strategic Brand Management - 15 credits
• Social Media Marketing - 15 credits