Explore the impacts of events and festivals upon local, regional and national economies and upon local communities and society. Consider the physical, political, social/cultural and economic impacts that events and festivals exert on destinations and host communities. Use case studies to analyse impacts within local, global and event specific context.
Use events to explore different facets of events management through your own experience and assessment. Visit, research and analyse regional events to explore issues that range from safety and security of events, risk assessment and human resource management to introductory contextualization of sociological aspects of event studies such as visitor behaviour and motivation, the cultural and social representation of events and historic development. Apply basic research methods and classroom learning to gain a conceptual framework for exploring different dimensions of, and practices in, event management studies.
Work in small groups to undertake the organisation and running of a small-scale event, working with real-life event development scenarios, involving links with local and/or regional tourism and leisure industry organisations. Reflect on how moral, ethical, social, environmental and health and safety issues affect the planning, marketing and ticket sales of events. Gain an understanding of the various steps of event planning and execution, which will vary depending on the specific type of event you choose to organise.
Establish an understanding of the nature of events, the range of events and the processes of planning, organising and managing events. Explore events in the tourism, leisure, recreation, hospitality, retail, creative and service sectors through an analysis of the interplay of public and private sector organisations. Consider market research, marketing, legislation, the development of niche products, transportation, infrastructure, attractions and destinations.
Receive training and practice in a range of learning and information skills relating to the service sector. Take part in specific workshops to cover information gathering, critical reading, note-taking, essay writing, group work, and written, graphical and verbal presentation. Develop confidence in taking responsibility for your own learning, be more independent, be a more effective learner and be able to motivate yourself.
Get an introduction to the concepts and functions of marketing and business in the context of the service sector. Explore the economics of the service sector, understanding today’s consumer, product development, marketing and business planning, segmentation and research; distribution channels; marketing communication and advertising.
