Events management education

This chapter considers the development of events management education and the close association that this has with the development of academic research in the events management sector. The chapter starts with an introduction to the sector and the emergence of the area as a field of study, discussing how this was prompted initially by industry needs, with academic institutions developing relevant programmes to meet these needs, whilst underpinning this development with academic research; it then moves to outline the development, content and relevance of programme provision internationally; then concludes with suggestions relating to the future direction of events management education. This chapter focuses on event management education at higher education level. Whilst it is

recognised that event education is increasingly being offered by colleges of further education, it is argued that the origins, growth and development of event management education have occurred primarily at university level. There are a number of parallels that might be drawn between the origins and development of tourism as an academic discipline and the more recent development of event management: for example, the origins and close link with hospitality operations, a desire to professionalise the industry and an increasing recognition of the economic importance of the discipline. However, as this chapter will argue, event management education has also developed as a consequence of industry demands, a recognition, and the increasing prominence of the importance major events and, most importantly, unprecedented student demand. In addition, event management has provided extensive research opportunities for academic staff whose original interest and expertise was perhaps in other disciplines and allowed for the emergence of an academic discipline on which new academics can base their careers.