Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Events experts at Leeds Beckett to create new events education manifesto
The conference, which will take place at the UK’s leading and longest standing event for the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions industry, International Confex, forms part of UKCEM’s celebrations of 20 years of events management education.
Over 150 industry leaders, academics, graduates and students from across the UK will debate various topics including event talent and employability and global events to form a manifesto on how organisations can nurture talent, skills and knowledge for the future of the industry. The manifesto will then be given to event industry boards to be distributed.
George P. Johnson have worked with graduates and students from the UK Centre for Events Management to create various environments for both #FutureEventProfs and The Big Conversation events, taking place on day two of International Confex. Students will be able to move around the different spaces to gain insights into how they can create, shape and make the most of their careers in this exciting, ever-changing and dynamic industry.
LED trees will provide an outlet for the afternoon Brain Jam session, where students will work with industry leaders, academics and graduates to share their views about the future of events management education. The most popular will establish the starting point of the manifesto debated by a panel of industry leaders including GPJ Global Account Director, Peter Davies.
Students will also get the opportunity to have smaller meetings with graduates including GPJ Junior marketing Strategist Caitlin Kobrak who will host a ‘Brand Me’ pod. Other pod topics include Experience & Marketing, Culture, Heritage & Event Tourism, interview techniques, creative thinking and future studies.
Speaking about the conference, George P. Johnson Managing Director, Jason Megson, said: “This event is just the start of a continued conversation to create a more resilient, competitive and talented industry for the future. As a leading experience marketing agency, the team at George P. Johnson take the development of events professionals very seriously, and hence we’re delighted to support the UKCEM at Confex this year.”
Jackie Mulligan, Principal Lecturer from the UK Centre of Events Management at Leeds Beckett, added: "George P. Johnson has been an excellent partner for this event which I hope will provide a rich experience for the new talent coming into industry and will lead to enhanced collaboration between industry and academia for a stronger industry in the future.
"A lot has changed for the industry in the last 20 years, so now we need to take a look at what’s going to happen in the next 20. We’re getting students and graduates together to find out how we can help in event education, looking for any gaps in training, what the challenges are and what new skills need to be developed. Perhaps the students will think that most things are going well, or we might identify some problems we need to change, whether on a broader, political level or on a more local one."
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.
International Confex takes place 2-3 March 2016 at Olympia London.
George P. Johnson is the leading experience marketing agency creating live and online experiences globally that motivate audiences and activate brands. GPJ is part of Project: WorldWide, an independent agency network inspired by a heritage in engagement marketing. Project: WorldWide agencies include JUXT Interactive, Affinitive, Partners + Napier, Spinifex, G7 Entertainment Marketing, and Raumtechnik.