Third-year Events Management students from the University of Northampton (UON) delivered the first-ever national Business Improvement Districts (BID) Awards this week, giving them an unparalleled real-world learning experience that will set them apart as they begin their careers in the events industry.
The awards in London on Monday 9 February were attended by around 100 guests, many of whom were representing BIDs from across the UK, including business leaders and local councillors.
The awards formed part of the third-year students’ major project and was in partnership with Events & PR, the Towcester-based company that devised the concept for the BID Awards.
The partnership with the University arose when a UON student, Charlotte Bedford, took part in a placement with the company last year and helped identify the potential for a live collaboration. She now works for Events & PR part-time alongside her studies.
Under professional mentorship from Events & PR, the student team took responsibility for the full end-to-end planning and delivery of the awards, including budgeting, venue selection, lighting, staging, sponsorship, logistics and working with a charity partner, The Lewis Foundation.
Including a charity partner in the event was the idea of the students and resulted in £450 being raised for The Lewis Foundation to fund support packs for people being treated for cancer in hospital.
Claire Leer, Senior Lecturer in Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management, said it was wonderful to see months of hard work and planning by the students come to fruition, adding: “Events like this give our students the kind of experience employers usually expect at graduate level.
“The atmosphere in the room was incredible – attendees were enjoying themselves and the room was alive with energy and joy.
“I am extremely proud of what they have achieved and am grateful to Damian at Events & PR for giving them this invaluable industry experience.”
Damian Cummins, Events Director for Events & PR said: “Up and down the country our town centres are transforming and voting to join Business Improvement Districts. A big part of that is recognising that events are a vital lifeline for our high streets, driving footfall and spending.
“This country will need an army of professional event mangers to make that vision a reality and it is very pleasing to be providing the real-world experience these students will need to get their foot in the door of a competitive and growing labour market.
“The awards went without a hitch and the feedback as people gathered their coats was glowing. The University should be very proud and excited by its success.”
The awards night was a double success for Northampton as the Northampton BID picked up a Gold Award for Safety and Security.
UON’s Events Management programme places real-world experience at its core. By the end of their degree, students have worked on multiple industry projects, examples of which include charity events with Delapré Abbey, Cynthia Spencer Hospice, Northampton Hope Centre, and Operation Nexus – the simulation of a large-scale event at Silverstone Circuit.
To find out more about a career in events, browse UON’s Events, Tourism and Hospitality courses.