FdA Events Management

Program Overview

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Kick start your exciting career in events planning with a unique Events Management degree from the University of Essex. Graduates of this programme could go onto careers working on weddings, sporting events, festivals, fashion shows, corporate events or conferences. After completing the FdA you will have the opportunity, subject to satisfactory performance, to continue with your studies and finish with a BA degree. This course is not suitable if you need a Student visa to study in the UK. The Events Management degree prepares you for the fast-paced world of planning and managing events. You will learn alongside lecturers who have worked on worldwide and high profile events while gaining experience of real weddings, conferences and private functions alongside your studies. You will develop your industry knowledge and professional skills by working within Wivenhoe House, a 4* country house hotel, alongside your studies. You will gain experience in the different departments of the hotel including the kitchen, front office, restaurant as well as an extended period of time in the events department. These shifts may involve some late finishes on occasion, as well as weekend work, so that you get to see all aspects of the different events the hotel offers such as weddings, meetings, tribute acts, baby showers, conferences and more. As well as spending time in 4* Wivenhoe House , some of our high performing Event’s Management students have in past had the unforgettable opportunity to work at big name events and venues like the BRIT awards, the O2 arena and the Royal Ascot. With a student experience unlike any other, it may come as no surprise that the Edge Hotel School is ranked 4th for overall student satisfaction and 7th in the UK for Tourism, Transport and Travel (Complete University Guide 2023). You will study topics including:

• Event planning and logistics
• Winning an event contract and proposal design
• Business innovation
• Contemporary management practice
• Cultural events, festivals and weddings
• Human resources management
• Digital marketing

The Edge Hotel School experience is unlike any other student experience. Not only will you graduate from a well-renowned university - you will develop your industry knowledge and professional skills by working within Wivenhoe House , a fully-commercial 4* hotel, alongside your studies. Why we're great.

• Our lecturers have international industry experience to support your learning and development
• Edge Hotel School graduates go onto careers all over the world
• You will gain experience alongside your studies in a real 4* hotel to boost your employability

Placement year

Students that wish to broaden their experience in different types of events will also be given the option to swap a rotation in our Events and Conference team for an external work experience during Level 5 (Year 2) of this course. This experience will last 4 weeks, and needs to be instigated by you. The Placement team at the University of Essex and staff of the Edge Hotel School will assist you in sourcing opportunities as well as improving your interview and CV-writing skills. This external work experience will be assessed in the same as your rotations in Wivenhoe House hotel and is a chance for you to experience a broad set of events that you might wish to pursue within your career.

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Our expert staff

Our staff includes lecturers with both professional as well as academic backgrounds to ensure you are taught by people with industry-relevant experience themselves. Among our academic staff are a former organiser of the BRIT Awards, London Fashion Week and events for Her Majesty The Queen, a former hotel General Manager, a former Food and Beverage Manager for award-winning cruise lines and a Dr. (PhD) with international research experience.

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Specialist facilities

• Wivenhoe House , where you will gain experience, is a 40-bedroom country house hotel on the university campus with a brasserie restaurant and a busy conference and events function that hosts over 300 events and 50 weddings annually. If for any reason the hotel is subject to closures during rotations, we have developed a comprehensive platform of online skills and experience workshops to replicate the practical experience offer as closely as possible.
• The Edge Hotel School has connections with a range of organisations across the hospitality and events industries – throughout your studies you can expect guest lectures, masterclasses and an annual careers fair to help further your career prospects. Supporters of the Edge Hotel School include:
  • Apex Hotels
  • The Arora Group
  • BaxterStorey
  • Claridges
  • Dorchester Collection
  • Edge Foundation
  • EDITION Hotels
  • Exclusive Hotels and Venues
  • Georgian House Hotel
  • Hand Picked Hotels
  • The Landmark London
  • Levy UK and Ireland
  • Master Innholders
  • Moet Hennessey
  • Milsoms Hotels and Restaurants
  • Oakman Inns
  • Royal Lancaster London
  • the Savoy Educational Trust
  • Sbe
  • St Julians Scholars
  and many others.
• The Edge Hotel Society hosts student-organised events including industry speakers, student social events and an annual ball.
• As an Edge Hotel School student you will be issued with a uniform to wear for your shifts in Wivenhoe House and when representing the School externally. You will just need to provide your own white shirts and black shoes.

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Your future

The Events Management degree at the Edge Hotel School combines both events experience and industry knowledge to provide you with the skills for an exciting career in many aspects of events management. The event and hospitality industry are excited by the calibre of our graduates and there are opportunities throughout the course to meet recruitment managers and network. Graduates of this programme can go onto careers, in the UK or internationally, in areas such as:

• Events management
• Wedding planning
• Venue management
• Festival planning and management
• Food and beverage management
• Marketing and sales
• Cruise ships and airlines

“Events management graduates need to lead by example at events. Here you will combine management and practical skills to enable you to do the job of planning and running great events to a professional standard– that’s why our graduates are so employable. Working in events management presents exciting opportunities internationally as well as across the UK.” Philip Berners , Lecturer and Course Coordinator

Program Outline

Course structure

Below is just a example of some of the modules from the current academic year. Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The course content is therefore reviewed on an annual basis to ensure our courses remain up-to-date so modules listed are subject to change. We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website. However, if we need to make material changes, we’ll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

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Components

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose. Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

Status	What this means
Core	You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory	You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

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Modules

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits. In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available. Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code . For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

HR	100	4	FY
The department or school the module will be taught by. In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.	The module number.	The UK academic level of the module. A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course. A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules. A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification.	The term the module will be taught in. AU : Autumn term SP : Spring term SU : Summer term FY : Full year AP : Autumn and Spring terms PS: Spring and Summer terms AS: Autumn and Summer terms

Year 1 Final Year This module introduces you to the regulatory frameworks for corporate bodies in the UK and sets the key financial documents into context (such as profit and loss, cash flow and balance sheets). Financial ratios and comparative measures are described and analysed in the context of micro-economics both internally and industry wide. View Finance for Events Business on our Module Directory This module will enable you to analyse the macro, micro and internal business environments in which international hospitality and events businesses operate. A comprehensive understanding of the environments that an organisation operates in will enable you to interpret situations and allow you to make decisions that add value for stakeholders. The focus of the module is on the external and internal influences on organisations and the effect these have on business practices and internal aspects of organisational life. Contemporary business issues will be studied as they arise. View The Event Business Environment on our Module Directory This module will introduce you to the importance and centrality of the customer experience as fundamental to all activity within hospitality and event businesses. You will understand the different types of customer and factors that will influence their behaviour and expectations. The module will identify the components of effective customer relationships enabling you to develop the knowledge required to effectively deliver customer excellence. View Marketing and Customer Behaviour on our Module Directory The module aims to develop your understanding of gastronomy as well as current trends in food and beverage and how culture, societal expectations and consumer demands influence the food and beverage offerings of events, restaurants, hotels and other food establishments. It will provide you with an understanding and insight into food and beverage commodities, how they are created and used as well as the processes used in the sourcing, purchasing, production and service of food and beverage within the events and hospitality industry. View Food and Beverage Management on our Module Directory This module will introduce you to the concept and importance of the centrality of the customer experience as fundamental to all activity within a hotel business. The module will provide you with the opportunity to reflect on and take part in delivering customer excellence within the various functions of the hotel operation. View Delivering Event Operations and the Customer Experience 1 on our Module Directory This module will provide you with an understanding of the operational characteristics of a high quality event business and the importance of effective teamwork in delivering excellent customer service. You will be introduced to the legal and regulatory context in which events operate, understand and use basic financial and costing skills and utilise relevant technology to enhance business performance. View Events Operations on our Module Directory This module will introduce you to the concept of cultural events, weddings and festivals in society. The module will provide the origins and impacts of events in this genre and will consider a range of ethnic, religious, sociological and cultural viewpoints. View Wedding and Festival Planning on our Module Directory This module will equip you with a range of management and leadership skills to support your career development in the hospitality and event industries. You will identify how reflective practice enhances the effectiveness of managers, and assess your own skills set, identifying areas for development. You will show appreciation of the types of management skills that are transferable from academia to the work of hospitality and event managers, building on from the skills outlined within the Continual Professional Development module studied at level 5, for example team working, delegation and self-management. View Management and Leadership on our Module Directory In this module you will explore the subject of business ethics and the related concept of corporate social responsibility. The module assesses the business need for ethical practice, and examines the strategies through which ethical practices can become embedded. Furthermore Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a key concept in business operations and organizational management in recent years. The module will examine the background of CSR, its current applications, challenges, limitations as well as the different forms it can take such as HR policy and codes of conduct, legislation, and administration. View Sustainability in Events on our Module Directory This module will develop your understanding of the underlying themes and forces acting on an organisation relating to its digital business, and in particular e-marketing. This is an evolving and growing aspect of modern marketing and you will research different strategies used throughout all industries to gain customers and improve brand recognition. You will learn about revenue management and the use of data to inform decision makers when maximising revenue in hospitality and events. View Digital Marketing and Revenue Management on our Module Directory The purpose of this module is for you to consolidate your professional and personal learning and to focus on the development of techniques and strategies for self-management of your continuous professional development. You will develop critical self-reflection skills as well as provide an understanding of the role and relevance of research for managers in decision making. The module will also provide opportunity to develop a range of skills to prepare you for career advancement and employment opportunities. View Continual Professional Development on our Module Directory This module continues from the first module, Event Operations by providing you with the opportunity to develop the knowledge of supervising teams as well as aspects of operational management. You will develop further the knowledge and application required for the successful planning and organising of your teams for the delivery of products and services to customers in all aspects of event management operations. You will understand the value of data to inform managers on trends, performance and analysis. View Event Supervision, Data and Technology on our Module Directory This module will enable you to analyse current contemporary issues that impact on management, staff, operations and customers within the events industry. Contemporary management practice will be studied within changing organisational, consumer and environmental contexts to enhance your understanding of factors that impact on competitive positioning within the industry. View Contemporary Issues in the Event Industry on our Module Directory This module will introduce you to the concept and importance of the centrality of the customer experience as fundamental to all activity within a hotel business. The module will provide you with the opportunity to reflect on and take part in delivering customer excellence within the various functions of the hotel operation. View Delivering Event Operations and the Customer Experience 2 on our Module Directory

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Teaching

• Each year of the FdA consists of up to 21 weeks of teaching, 8 weeks gaining experience in the hotel and 2 weeks self-study, in addition to your holidays.
• During a teaching week you would spend around 9 hours in lectures, or smaller seminars.
• During a hotel week you would spend 4 or 5 days on shift, Monday – Sunday, gaining experience and applying the academic theory from your lectures.
• Most of your hotel experience at Wivenhoe House will be in the conference and events department, but you will also gain some experience in reception, the kitchens and restaurant.
• Term dates for this programme may differ from the standard termly timetable. Please contact the department for specific term date information on

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  Assessment

  Your Events Management degree has been designed to provide a mix of assessment approaches, including:
  • Essays
  • Exams
  • Posters
  • Presentations
  • Reflective statements
  • Reports
  • Dissertation
  • Events Project. The Events Project in Level 6 of the Events Management degree consists of an individual report, a presentation and a group report focusing on a real-life event with an external client. This is your opportunity to organise a live event for an external client from start to finish during the final level of your course.
  • The Professional Performance Assessment (PPA) which takes the form of an interview is used throughout our courses to allow you to reflect, practise and improve your interview skills before embarking on interviews for your first graduate role.
  • The Professional Code of Conduct is an important part of your assessment. It focuses on areas that are important for future managers such as attendance, punctuality and team working. The Professional Code of Conduct is available in your Student Handbook.