Leeds Beckett students to gain event industry show experience

The experience is part of a collaboration with show organisers and forms part of the 20^th anniversary celebrations of events education at Leeds Beckett.

Student intern Olivia Wright-Lewis, who is working within the UKCEM Event Support Services team and coordinating the volunteering, explained: “The two-day event will provide invaluable experience for our events students; enhancing their onsite event management skills and giving them an insight into this dynamic industry. It also provides UKCEM with the chance to showcase the talent of our students.”

First year student Zoe Titmuss, who is one of the 25 volunteers working at the show, added: “I am really looking forward to volunteering at Confex this year because it will provide me with a fantastic experience to help with the running of a huge industry event. Also the opportunity to work at a huge venue such as Olympia is very exciting!”

Earlier this month the UKCEM announced that an event which will explore the future of events management education will be held at International Confex on Thursday 3 March. The Big Conversation initiative aims to bring industry and academia together to visualise what will be needed in terms of skills, knowledge and education in the next 20 years.

Spaces are limited but students are being invited to register now to join The Big Conversation.

In January the UKCEM was announced as the official University Educational Partner for International Confex. The agreement will see events management education brought to the fore as the Leeds Beckett centre celebrates 20 years of events management education in the UK.

Speaking about the partnership, Jackie Mulligan, Principal Lecturer at Leeds Beckett and Director of Enterprise for UKCEM, said:  “This is a really important and timely conversation for our industry to be having when talent is top of the agenda, and we’re delighted to have the support of Confex in starting dialogue on what lies ahead in the next 20 years.

“We’re bringing together some of the most successful and inspiring individuals as part of our alumni relations, and putting them alongside event professionals and academics to get a 360 view on how industry and educators might collaborate and meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. It is a milestone to be 20 years on from starting events management at Leeds Beckett University in 1996. We now ask, what will the next 20 years bring and what might industry and education do differently?”

International Confex takes place 2-3 March 2016 at Olympia London.