Run by Bangor Business School

20.000 Credits or 10.000 ECTS Credits

Semester 1 & 2

Organiser: Dr Clair Doloriert

After studying this module you will have an understanding of both the operational management/project management of the modern conference and event management sector. In addition to this, you will have learned how to create and develop events. You will have a new sense of awareness regarding the interesting and exciting challenges of working with stakeholders and the vital project management skills required by the events industry. Issues such as sustainability, globalisation and ethics are also covered in the module. Ultimately it aims to establish transferable project management; and design skills which are necessary for employment within the sector.

PART 1 - Operations Management Skill Build (10)

Part one of the module enables you to develop a clear understanding of the project management tools and techniques applicable to a conference management context. You will distinguish the importance of; and how to understand: operations, logistics, leadership, budgets, risk management, effective promotion etc when creating events; including the reflection and reporting back to stakeholders.

• Inspect project management models, theories and terminology and build on the previously acquired core knowledge to apply to events.
• Process commences with establishing the conference and event management project context and then continues by discussing the importance of research and information in building the event management business case.
• The various stages integral to effective conference and event project management are explored. These include building meaningful event management project objectives, developing the event business case, building the full project plan, evaluating and measuring events (market research to back up). Various relevant tools and techniques (such stakeholder management, communications, understanding risk etc.)

PART 2 – Event Design & Project Management (10)

The second part of the module enables you to demonstrate the integral role events design has on the success of a conference or event. It will encourage you to continue to ‘think outside of the box’ and apply creative, feasible and realistic ideas, whilst developing transferable skills. Therefore, further developing your understanding of the design of events such as conferences, meetings and exhibitions and the need for management skills such as time management, outsourcing, menu development, decoration, lighting etc as well as the operational project management elements.

• Development of Events Design; event experience management; the event creation process, theming, design and programming and the event experience

• Experiential marketing, event management; developing event concepts.

• Creation of action plans, production schedules, run sheets; using industry standard technology (where applicable). Hypothetical building of and organising event teams,

• Participate in successful pitching strategies and post experience evaluation

threshold

-D / 40%

The students’ conceptual awareness of the theory and practice contained within the module has only generated a narrow range of ideas and analysis. The students’ responses are loosely defined in relation to the conclusions, with limited evidence of linking abstract theories to a range of specialised skills and practices.

good

-B / 50%

The students’ conceptual awareness of the theory and practice contained within the module has generated a broad range of ideas and analysis. The students’ responses are closely defined in relation to the conclusions, with some evidence of linking abstract theories to a range of specialised skills and practices.

excellent

-A / 70%

The students’ conceptual awareness of the theory and practice contained within the module has generated a relevant range of ideas and analysis. The students’ responses are clearly defined in relation to the conclusions, with consistent evidence of lining abstract theories to a range of specialised skills and practices.

1. Inspect project management models, theories and terminology and build on the previously acquired core knowledge to apply to events.

2. Discuss the links between operational planning, project management and value of feedback.

3. Explain the integral role of event design success within an event. Identifying a range of techniques an organisation could use when theming an ethically conscious event.

4. Prepare a robust (albeit hypothetical) business case based on sound research and information sources.

5. Prepare and present comprehensive Project Plan based on a sound project planning methodology using Events Management and Design models, principles, concepts and practices

6. Understand the key principles and application of conference and event management

Type	Name	Description	Weight
	Assignment 1		40.00
	Project Portfolio		60.00

		Hours
One-to-one supervision	This includes formal/ informal email communications, office hour engagements, feedback provided on assignments etc . Meetings can be 1-2-1 or small group discussions/ email/ web-based chat communications etc	4
Private study	156 hours of private study this includes (but is not limited to): • Preparing for lectures (reading PowerPoint’s in advance of lectures, textbook chapters etc) • Reflection post-lectures (further reading, summarising notes etc) • Further reading around the subject (websites, newspapers, journal articles etc) • Planning & preparing for assignments and exams including revising, researching and writing-up. • Any group work/ team meetings for any summative group work activity	156
Lecture	Formal taught element - traditional lecture teaching which can include group break-out style discussions, case-study activities and other appropriate lecture activities.	36
Workshop	Assessment Workshops e.g. Assignment preparation workshop semester 1 & exam (or 2nd assignment/ presentation etc) preparation workshop semester 2)	4

• Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
• Numeracy - Proficiency in using numbers at appropriate levels of accuracy
• Computer Literacy - Proficiency in using a varied range of computer software
• Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
• Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
• Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
• Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sentistevely with others
• Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
• Safety-Consciousness - Having an awareness of your immediate environment, and confidence in adhering to health and safety regulations
• Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
• Teamwork - Able to constructively cooperate with others on a common task, and/or be part of a day-to-day working team
• Mentoring - Able to support, help, guide, inspire and/or coach others
• Caring - Showing concern for others; caring for children, people with disabilities and/or the elderly
• Management - Able to utilise, coordinate and control resources (human, physical and/or financial)
• Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting
• Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others
• Leadership - Able to lead and manage, develop action plans and objectives, offer guidance and direction to others, and cope with the related pressures such authority can result in

• knowledge of some of the contexts in which accounting can be seen as operating (examples of contexts include the legal, ethical, social and natural environment; the accountancy profession; the business entity; the capital markets; the public sector)
• knowledge of the main current technical language and practices of accounting (for example, recognition, measurement and disclosure in financial statements; managerial accounting; auditing; taxation) in a specified socio-economic domain
• skills in recording and summarising transactions and other economic events; preparation of financial statements; analysis of the operations of business (for example, decision analysis, performance measurement and management control); financial analysis and projections (for example, analysis of financial ratios, discounted cash flow analysis, budgeting, financial risks)
• Abstraction. From the study of economic principles and models, students see how one can abstract the essential features of complex systems and provide a useable framework for evaluation and assessment of the effects of policy or other exogenous events. Through this, the typical student will acquire proficiency in how to simplify while still retaining relevance. This is an approach that they can then apply in other contexts, thereby becoming more effective problem-solvers and decision-makers.
• Analysis, deduction and induction. Economic reasoning is highly deductive, and logical analysis is applied to assumption-based models. However, inductive reasoning is also important. The development of such analytical skills enhances students' problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• Quantification and design. Data, and their effective organisation, presentation and analysis, are important in economics. The typical student will have some familiarity with the principal sources of economic information and data relevant to industry, commerce, society and government, and have had practice in organising it and presenting it informatively. This skill is important at all stages in the decision-making process.
• Framing. Through the study of economics, a student should learn how to decide what should be taken as given or fixed for the purposes of setting up and solving a problem, i.e. what the important 'parameters' are in constraining the solution to the problem. Learning to think about how and why these parameters might change encourages a student to place the economic problem in its broader social and political context. This 'framing' skill is important in determining the decision-maker's ability to implement the solutions to problems.
• An appreciation of the nature of the contexts in which finance can be seen as operating, including knowledge of the institutional framework necessary for understanding the role, operation and function of markets and financial institutions (e.g. the economic, legal, regulatory and tax environment, both national and international; the firm; the capital markets and the public sector).
• An ability to interpret financial data including that arising in the context of the firm or household from accounting statements and data generated in financial markets. The interpretation may involve analysis using statistical and financial functions and procedures such as are routinely available in spreadsheets (eg Microsoft Excel) and statistical packages. It may assume the skills necessary to manipulate financial data and carry out statistical and econometric tests (e.g. estimation and interpretation of asset pricing models; financial modelling and projections; event studies and residuals analysis; elements of time series analysis, such as serial correlation mean reversion, and stochastic volatility).
• An understanding of the financing arrangements and governance structures of business entities, and an appreciation of how theory and evidence can be combined to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of such arrangements (e.g. decisions as to sources of finance and financial structure; the pricing of corporate securities; the market for corporate control; corporate governance structures and mechanisms; financial planning and international dimensions of finance).
• An ability to understand financial statements, and a basic appreciation of the limitations of financial reporting practices and procedures (eg financial statement analysis; the relation between cash flow accounting and accrual accounting; discretionary accounting practices).
• People management: to include communications, team building, leadership and motivating others.
• Problem solving and critical analysis: analysing facts and circumstances to determine the cause of a problem and identifying and selecting appropriate solutions.
• Research: the ability to analyse and evaluate a range of business data, sources of information and appropriate methodologies, which includes the need for strong digital literacy, and to use that research for evidence-based decision-making.
• Commercial acumen: based on an awareness of the key drivers for business success, causes of failure and the importance of providing customer satisfaction and building customer loyalty.
• Innovation, creativity and enterprise: the ability to act entrepreneurially to generate, develop and communicate ideas, manage and exploit intellectual property, gain support, and deliver successful outcomes.
• Numeracy: the use of quantitative skills to manipulate data, evaluate, estimate and model business problems, functions and phenomena.
• Networking: an awareness of the interpersonal skills of effective listening, negotiating, persuasion and presentation and their use in generating business contacts.
• Ability to work collaboratively both internally and with external customers and an awareness of mutual interdependence.
• Ability to work with people from a range of cultures.
• Articulating and effectively explaining information.
• Building and maintaining relationships.
• Communication and listening including the ability to produce clear, structured business communications in a variety of media.
• Emotional intelligence and empathy.
• Conceptual and critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
• Self-management: a readiness to accept responsibility and flexibility, to be resilient, self-starting and appropriately assertive, to plan, organise and manage time.
• Self reflection: self-analysis and an awareness/sensitivity to diversity in terms of people and cultures. This includes a continuing appetite for development.

Talis Reading list

http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/etb-2003.html

Reading list

Essential Davidson, R (2019) Business Events, 2nd edition Routledge

Supplementary Rogers, T (2019) Conferences and Conventions: A Global Industry, 2nd Edition, Elsevier Butterworth

Compulsory in courses:

• N82M: BSc International Bus in Tourism & Hospitality (Franchised) year 2 (BSC/PIBTH)
• N83M: BSc Tourism & Hospitality: Managemt Leadership (Franchised) year 2 (BSC/PTHML)