module specification

This module aims to give students a more conceptual understanding of events management by considering the nature and role of events within a wider societal context. As well as exploring contemporary issues currently being faced by event organisers, stakeholders and policy makers, the module also considers some of the fundamental theories and concepts that have influenced the development of events as an area for academic research. This module will enable students to more effectively select a topic for academic study, as well as making them more rounded event professionals.

The overall aim of the module is to equip students with a broad understanding of how events interact with the rest of the economy and society. The module aims to:

1) Introduce students to some of the key theoretical concepts and contemporary issues facing Event Management

2) Enable students to critically explore events from a sociological and anthropological perspective, as well as acknowledging the influences of urban geography and tourism

3) Empower students with knowledge and understanding to help inform their choice of dissertation topic at level 6

4) Equip students to relate theory to practice through the incorporation of real event examples, case studies and empirical research

The main focus of this module is on the conceptual nature of events, and how they link to society and the wider environment. The syllabus is regularly reviewed to ensure it reflects the contemporary issues and thinking:

1) Stakeholders and the supply chain
2) Sustainability
3) Impacts revisited
4) Strategic use of events
5) Event legacy and urban regeneration
6) Motivation to attend events
7) Consumption and experience
8) Performance and ritual
9) Identity
10) The body and fashion
11) Gender
12) Fantasy and role-play
13) Place and representation
14) Developing a research idea

Learning and teaching on the module is organised in the form of 1.5 hour lecture and 1.5 hour seminars every week. Lectures introduce the relevant theories related to events management and the seminars are used to explore these more in depth and debate their implications within the industry. There will also be field trips to venues and sites in the London area where relevant to the syllabus. Weekly teaching is supported with the online intranet, not only in terms of sharing of relevant materials, but also in terms of incorporating different online activities that students are required to complete, either in preparation for or in follow-up of the session.  This includes both individual and collaborative exercises.

Students are expected to actively participate in all sessions and to come to sessions prepared, which will entail a certain amount of guided and self-guided independent study at home/library, both including hard copy and online resources.  Extensive reading material and guidance is provided to help students plan their studies.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

1) Discuss the historical development of events as an academic subject discipline, and identify the key thinkers in the field

2) Debate the nature of events and the role events play within society

3) Critically analyse key theoretical concepts, and relate these to current event practice

4) Select and evaluate a range of secondary sources to construct an academic argument that is persuasive and focused

5) Recognize the link between academic debate and empirical research, and present ideas for a research idea linked to sound theoretical concepts

The module assessment strategy comprises three linked components:

Seminar contribution – throughout the year students’ knowledge and understanding of the relevant theories related to events management will be tested when they present a particular journal article or book chapter and contribute to others presentations (Learning outcomes 2 & 3)

Individual academic essay – demonstrates the students’ ability to critically analyse key theoretical concepts and synthesise ideas to generate a strong academic argument (Learning outcome 1 &4)

Academic poster presentation – students develop their academic essay into an idea for a research project. They present their idea through the medium of an academic poster presentation (Learning outcome 5)

Core Textbooks

• Andrews, H. Leopold, T. (2013). Events and the Social Sciences. Routledge: UK.
• Case, R. (2013). Events and the Environment. Routledge: UK.

Recommended Reading

    Allen, J., O’Toole, W., Harris, R. and McDonnell, I. (2010) Festival and Special Event Management, Fifth Edition, John Wiley & Sons
    Berridge, G. (2007). Events Design and Experience. Routledge: Oxon, UK.
    Bladen, C. Kinnell, J. Abson, E. Wilde, N. (2012). Events Management: An Introduction. Routledge: Oxon, UK.
    Bowdin, G., McDonnell, I., Allen, J. and O’Toole, W. (2010) Events Management. 3rd edition. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann
    Elkington, J. (1999) Cannibals With Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business, Oxford: Capstone
    Elkington, J. (2008) The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change The World, Boston: Harvard Business School Press
    Featherstone, M. (2007). Consumer Culture and Postmodernism. 2nd edition. Sage: London.
    Ferdinand, N. and Kitchin, P. (2012) Event Management: An International Approach, London: Sage
    Fox, D. Gouthro, M.B. Morakabati, Y. Brackstone, J. (2014). Doing Events Research: From theory to practice. Routledge: Oxon, UK.
    Freeman, R.E. (2010) Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, Cambridge University Press
    Getz, D. (2012) Event Studies: Theory, Research and Policy for Planned Events, Second Edition, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann
    Giddens, A. (2013). Sociology. 7th edition. Polity Press: Cambridge.
    Richards, G. Palmer, R. (2010). Eventful Cities: Cultural management and urban revitalization. Butterworth-Heinemann: London, UK.
    Smith, A. (2012). Events & Urban Regeneration. Routledge: UK.
    Yeoman, I., Robertson, M., Ali-Knight, J., Drummond, S. and McMahon-Beattie, U. (2004) Festivals and Events Management, London: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann

Academic journal articles:

    Andersson, T. D. Getz, D. (2008). Stakeholder Management Strategies of Festivals. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism. 9:3. pp.199-220.
    Hede, A.M. (2007). Managing special events in the new era of the triple bottom line. Event Management. Vol.11. pp.13-22.
    Merrilees, B. Marles, K. (2011). Green Business Events: Profiling through a case study. Event Management. Vol.15. pp.361-372.
    Rogers, P. Anastasiadou, C. (2011). Community involvement in festivals: Exploring ways of increasing local participation. Event Management. Vol.15. pp.387-399.
    Minnaert, L. (2011). An Olympic Legacy for all? The non-infrastructural outcomes of the Olympic Games for socially excluded groups (Atlanta 1996-Beijing 2008). Tourism Management. (2011). pp.1-10.
    Lee, S. Harris, J. Lyberger, M. (2010). The economic impact of college sporting events: A case study of Division I-A Football games. Event Management. Vol.14. pp.157-165.
    Clifton, N. O’Sullivan, D. Pickernell, D. (2012). Capacity building and the contribution of public festivals: Evaluating “Cardiff 2005”. Event Management. Vol.16. pp.77-91.
    Martinez-Alier, J. Pascual, U. Vivien, F. Zaccai, E. (2010). Sustainable de-growth: Mapping the context, criticisms and future prospects of an emergent paradigm. Ecological Economics. Vol. 69. pp.1741-1747.
    Sagoff, M. (2012). The Rise and Fall of Ecological Economics. The Breakthrough. Winter 2012. [online]. Available at: http://thebreakthrough.org/index.php/journal/past-issues/issue-2/the-rise-and-fall-of-ecological-economics/ [accessed: 08/08/13].
    Getz, D. (2002). Why festivals fail. Event Management. Vol.7. pp.209-219.
    Carlson, J. Taylor, A. (2003). Mega-events and urban renewal: The case of the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games. Event Management. Vol.8. pp.15-22.
    Chang, W. Yuan, J. (2011). A taste of tourism: Visitors’ motivations to attend a food festival. Event Management. Vol. 15. pp.13-23.
    Crompton, J.L. McKay, S.L. (1997). Motives of visitors attending festival events. Annals of Tourism Research. Vol.24. No.2. pp.425-439.
    Roche, M. (1998). Mega-events, Culture and Modernity: Expos and the Origins of Public Culture. Cultural Policy. Vol.5. No.1. pp.1-31.
    Deighton, J. (1992). The Consumption of Performance. Journal of Consumer Research. Vol.19. December. pp.362-372.
    Holbrook, M.B. Hirschman, E.C. (1982). The experiential aspects of consumption: Consumer fantasies, feelings, and fun. Journal of Consumer Research. Vol.9. September. pp.132-140.
    Morgan, M. Elbe, J. Esteban Curiel, J. (2009). Has the experience economy arrived? The views of destination managers in three visitor-dependent areas. International Journal of Tourism Research. Vol.11. pp.201-216.
    Derrett, R. (2003). Making sense of how festivals demonstrate a community’s sense of place. Event Management. Vol.8. pp.49-58.
    Lewis, C. Pile, S. (1996). Woman, Body, Space: Rio Carnival and the politics of performance. Gender, Place and Culture. Vol.3. No.1. pp.23-41.
    Wensing, E.H. Bruce, T. (2003). Bending the Rules: Media Representations of Gender during an International Sporting Event. International Review for the Sociology of Sport. Vol.38. No.4. pp.387-396.