Students reap benefits of online contact with industry professionals

Events and Tourism Management students from the University of Northampton can pick the brains of industry professionals thanks to the launch of an online forum.

The Huddle website allows undergraduates to stay on top of industry news, discuss issues and trends affecting the sector, and perhaps most importantly of all, communicate with professionals from the business community. Blogs are posted by both industry and academic specialists in the field.

The forum was set up by new Senior Lecturer, Angela Anthonisz, who is keen for students to interact with industry professionals to give them an insight into the world of work.

“It’s a simple concept, but the Huddle can really help bring the topics we study to life,” said Angela, who herself has a wealth of experience from working in the tourism and hospitality sector, including running her own hotel.

“We regularly post industry news to the website, and this encourages discussion amongst the students, staff and those from the industry that we have invited to join.

“It really gets them thinking about what we’ve learnt in class, and applying that to the real world. Having direct access to industry professionals is fantastic for them, as it not only gives them a chance to learn from some excellent business brains, but is also a great networking opportunity.”

Co-founder of the Huddle is Matt Parsons, who spent 14 years as events manager for Northampton Borough Council, and has organised huge events involving Northampton Saints RFC, concerts by Paul Weller and Jessie J and the town’s balloon festival.

Matt offers his expert insight to the students, providing advice, a business point of view and acting as a sounding board for ideas.

Nathan Sears, a second year Sports Marketing Management student, has been impressed with the Huddle.

He said: “The Huddle has been a great way to access academic blog posts, it is essentially a forum that invites students like myself to get involved within critical discussion regarding their chosen topic area.

“This has been an immense help as I’ve been able to contribute my own thoughts and then gain feedback on these from fellow students and industry professionals. The Huddle has been hugely helpful for my current assignment – it has not only allowed me easy access to view blog posts, but also to communicate with fellow peers who have similar interests to me.”

International Tourism Management second year, Nicole Yie, said: “I am not very good with technology and thought I would find it difficult to navigate around the site, however, the simple layout meant that I soon caught on.

“Using the Huddle was a new and interesting experience for me. I like the fact there’s a platform that allows me to engage with my fellow students on topics relevant to my studies, as well as issues within my industry that I am interested in.”

After a successful trial, there are now plans to roll the Huddle out for other leisure modules within the department.