UK: International Hospitality Media events manager Chelsey Hulbert was recently invited to the University of Surrey to advise students on their latest module.
Hulbert, a graduate of the International Event Management course at the Guildford campus, started working at IHM as an intern during her course. She has since joined the company in a full-time role and has been responsible for the delivery of events including RECHARGE 2020, The Shortyz and the Serviced Apartment Awards 2020.
The course includes a module called “Staging Live Events”. During this module students write a series of reports (including a feasibility study, event management plan, risk assessments, and post-event reports) and put plans in place to execute their own live event. They are given a brief to work to and a charity to work with to raise money for. The brief includes the type of event to be organised and a theme to adhere to.
The reports the students write count towards their final grade for the module, including an event feasibility study. As a group, the students have to write this and present it in front of an industry panel.
Owen Granger-Jones, course leader for International Event Management, invited Hulbert to sit on this panel, listen to all the presentations, and mark the students’ reports and presentation against the marking criteria.
The students were then questioned and critiqued by the panel, asking why they have decided to conduct their event in certain ways, stating where they could improve and what they need to change to make the event feasible in terms of operations, budgets, staffing, supplier management, venue management, timings and so on. The panel will then accept or reject their event to go ahead based on the changes and challenges made by the panel.
Hulbert said: “I was delighted to be asked to return to the university to help the next generation of event professionals with their latest module. It was great to hear all their ideas and to be able to offer advice and feedback based on the experience I have gained since graduating. There were some really good concepts discussed in the session and I am sure many of the students will go on to successful careers in the events industry.”</p
