The Events Management module of BA (Hons) Fashion Business and Promotion has been running for 10 consecutive years now and continues to thrive. Its roaring success has made it a resounding favourite module for the Fashion Business and Promotion Students at BCU and with this year’s first event less than two weeks’ away, we wanted to know what the hype is all about!
Events Management is a live module in the second year of the Fashion Business and Promotion Degree, requiring students to work in teams to plan and execute a real life event. Not only do our students carry out this module as a live professional brief, but they start the project with zero budget and must use their entrepreneurial and negotiation skills to fundraise.
Every year the course works directly with a charity to ensure the money raised goes to a good cause. For the past three years, we have worked hand-in-hand with St Basil’s, a local Birmingham charity, raising money to support the prevention of youth homelessness. So far, nearly £20,000 has been raised by our students for a fantastic cause, giving us the opportunity to deal with real world situations as well as positively contributing to our local city and community.
Sophie Johnson, BCU lecturer for Fashion Business and Promotion, talks about her experience, “Events’ was a highly anticipated module for me as a student, so to be on the other side of the module having worked in the PR Events industry since graduating, is so exciting.”
“Every year the students come up with increasingly innovative ideas and the standard of work is so impressive. I often leave students events, on the night of assessment, feeling utterly blown away. I always think WOW! Did my students really just accomplish that?! That sense of achievement is incredible.’
Module creator and leader, Julia South, is very proud of the project and its continuing accomplishments and excited to see what this year’s students while achieve. Julia explains that this live brief well and truly increases student confidence, "What we do during the Events Management module is teach students skills that can be applied not only to industry but to their personal lives and professional careers. We equip them with skills in finance and budgeting, crisis management and most importantly team work and managing conflict, all of which are deemed invaluable skills. It’s really great to see certain students come out of their shells during this module. It has a positive impact on self esteem and it’s a great opportunity to bond even further with our students".
Event highlights over the past ten years include a Peaky Blinders Night, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Casino Nights with Judge Jules as a headline DJ and the unforgettable, internationally publicised Great Gatsby Ball hosted by Radio One DJ Scott Mills, with appearances from One Direction stars Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson as well as magician Dynamo.
Events this year will run from 1st – 18th February 2018.
