Recently, I attended an event hosted by Bournemouth University’s Tourism Department, which focused on engaging with employers. I was given the opportunity to speak with undergraduates and lecturers on tourism, marketing and event management courses and it got me thinking about the age-old debate of experience versus qualifications.
Back in the day, long before the advent of Event Management degree courses, I stumbled blindly into a career in events management – I organised an event to entertain some clients of mine and enjoyed it so much that I’ve been working in the industry ever since. In the 20 years I’ve been a part of event management, I’ve had the chance to work in all corners of the industry which has been great for my experience and helped me identify that my favoured area of expertise is definitely event delivery.
Event management degrees certainly have their merits – they demonstrate to employers that a graduate has a genuine interest in the field and is able to offer a theoretical way of tackling projects. There are, however, problems with relying too much on the qualification route. Often, such courses can be an add-on to an existing marketing or business course and focus too much on theoretical issues such as why we hold events and why choose experiential marketing, instead of investing time in the practicalities of delivering events.
For one, first-hand experience of this side of events management enables accurate planning and, crucially, budgeting. Further still, in an ever-competitive job market, it’s vital that graduates can offer that little bit extra to make them stand out from the crowd. Although our clients will often bring in specialist companies to help to address the practicalities of events, it pays to at least understand some of the technical aspects of, for example, power distribution and how to set lighting rigs for the right atmosphere and effects.
Qualifications in events management do equip students with a theoretical building block on which to begin their careers, but I genuinely believe that there is no substitute for experience – both from an employer’s perspective and for one’s own personal development. Every year, Millbrook takes on a number of undergraduates on placements to give them an opportunity to put their learning into practice and, in some cases, we’re able to recruit permanently following their graduation. As an employer, this is an ideal time to capture new recruits as they bring fresh thinking to the organisation, as well as a limited portfolio of the bad habits we all naturally pick up throughout the course of our careers.
As with many industries, there is a certain level of disassociation between the academic and ‘real’ worlds – it’s not just the students who benefit from placements, but lecturers and employers too. Ideally, the academic and practical sectors need to work together to create a truly integrated offering and ensure students really are getting the best start to their careers.
- Kevin Leaver, Head of Events, Millbrook Events
