module specification

This module explores in detail the different types of events and how these fit within the context of leisure and tourism. The content covers three topical areas: Cultural Events, Popular Culture Events and Business Events, which will provide students with a broader understanding of the intricacies of event management within different sectors.

This module aims to consolidate students’ learning from the previous years of study and contextualise it within three specific contexts within the events industry. More specifically, the module aims to:

1) Enable students to consolidate their learning to date and apply it within specific sectors of the events industry, namely the cultural events, popular culture events and business events sectors

2) Examine the practical challenges of providing and evaluating successful events tourism

3) Recognize the specificities of event management within particular sectors

4) Empower students to relate academic learning to industry context and identify their own competencies that are relevant for this particular job market

It also aims to develop students’ skills, in particular:
• Analysing data
• Enterprise skills (being creative)
• Critical thinking and writing
• Commercial awareness

The syllabus for this module is split into three thematic areas and includes:

1) Cultural Events

• Cultural audiences and event tourism
• Arts and heritage festivals
• Exhibition planning, design, interpretation and events programming
• Education and outreach
• Financing and marketing exhibitions and cultural festivals

2) Popular Culture Events

• Contemporary music, arts, and film festivals, as well as contemporary food festivals and sport and leisure events
• Commercial environment
• Creative programming for festivals
• Planning, financing and marketing PCEs
• Facilities management
• Audience development

3) Business Events:

• Diversity of types and categorizations
• Sector environment
• Key stakeholders and strategies
• Evaluation methods and techniques
• Role of these events in relation to leisure and tourism

Learning and teaching on the module is organised in the form of a 1.5 hour lecture and 1.5 hour seminars. Lectures explore the intricacies of each of the types of events that are studied and seminars are oriented towards enabling students to consolidate their learning and work towards completing their assessments (particularly in relation to the first and last piece of work). Where appropriate, the lectures will be delivered by industry experts as guest speakers.

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.

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

1) Synthesise their knowledge of the cultural events sector and produce evidence of this

2) Apply best practice in events tourism to the design and evaluate events in the cultural, contemporary arts and business sectors

3) Investigate and elaborate on the role and complexities of popular culture events

4) Analyse the role of business events within the leisure and tourism sector and identify directions  for future research or work in this area

The module assessment strategy comprises three components:

Group report – tests students’ synthesis of their knowledge and understanding of the specificities of the cultural events sector  (Learning outcomes 1 & 2)

Individual written assignment – appraises the students’ ability to debate the role of popular culture events and the intricacies of the sector in relation to the rest of the events industry and other stakeholders (Learning outcomes 2 & 3)

Individual multimedia blog – Tests students critical thinking and analytical skills in relation to the business events sector (Learning outcomes 2 & 4)

• Ali-Knight, J. (Ed) (2008) International perspectives of festivals and events : paradigms of analysis, London: Elsevier

• Black  G (2005) The engaging museum: developing museums for visitor involvement, London:
Routledge

• Bowdin, G., McDonnell, I., Allen, J. and O’Toole, W. (2011) Events Management, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann

• Dwyer, L., and Wickens, E. (Eds) (2013) Event tourism and cultural tourism : issues and debates, London: Routledge

• Ferdinand, N. and Kitchin, P. (2012) Event Management: An International Approach, London: Sage (In Press)

• Getz, D. (2005). Event Management and Event Tourism, 2nd edition, Cognizant Communication Corporation

• Locker, P. (2010) Exhibition Design, Lausanne: AVA

• Long, P. and Robinson, M. (Eds) (2004). Festivals and Tourism: Marketing, Management and Evaluation, Sunderland: Business Education Publishers Ltd

• O'Reilly and Kerrigan (Eds) (2010) Marketing the Arts: A Fresh Approach, London: Routledge

• Page, S.J. and Connel, J. (Eds) (2009) Event Tourism. Oxon: Routledge

• Raj, R. (2009) Events management: an integrated and practical approach, London: Sage

• Rogers, T. (2013) Conferences and Conventions: A Global Industry, 3rd edition, London: Routledge

• Smith, M.K. (2009) Issues in Cultural Tourism, London: Routledge

• Swarbrooke, J. and Horner, S. (2001) Business Travel and Tourism, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann

• Van der Wagen, L. (2007). Event Management for Tourism, Cultural, Business and Sporting Events, 3rd edition, Frenchs Forest N.S.W.: Pearson Education

• Walmsley (Ed) (2011) Key Issues in the Arts and Entertainment Industry, Oxford: Goodfellow

• Walwin, J. (Ed) (2010) Searching for art's new publics, Bristol: Intellect

Academic journals:
Annals of Tourism Research
Event Management
International Journal of Festival and Event Management
Journal of Convention and Event Tourism
Journal of Museum Management and Curatorship
Tourism Management