MAKING AN EVENT OF IT: HNC STUDENTS EXPLORE CAREERS IN A £42BN INDUSTRY
06.11.2023Students from HNC’s Applied Travel and Tourism course have recently attended a conference at the Royal Armouries, hosted by Leeds Beckett University, to discover more about the exciting progression opportunities in the tourism, leisure and events sectors. The day was also a great opportunity to experience how the Royal Armouries itself runs a wide range of events including conferences and weddings, and how as a venue they are part of an industry worth £42bn to the UK economy.
The conference, which focused on Events Management, explored the wide variety of careers in the Events Management industry, from the behind the scenes roles such as HR and logistics, to the customer facing roles needed in hospitality. Students were welcomed to the event by Dr James Musgrave, Head of UK Centre for Events Management at Leeds Beckett University, followed by an opening speech by Sarah Byrne, Director of Mosaic Events and Co-Chair of the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers. Throughout the day, the group attended a number of workshops and round table discussions, hearing from industry leaders from a range of high profile organisations, including the Director of Operations at Yorkshire Cricket Club and the Events Management team at Leeds Direct Arena, who discussed their roles and the paths they followed to secure their dream careers. Attendees were introduced to a broad range of career possibilities, and were able to attend in-depth Q&A sessions to discover how they too can achieve their ambitions in the events industry.
On the day, the group were also invited to tour the Royal Armouries, a national museum dedicated to the history of arms and armour, and meet with the experienced events team. The conference ended with an informative and inspirational talk from Leeds Beckett University where the group were able to discuss in detail where a higher education qualification in Events Management can lead to.
Amanda Beirne, Teacher of Travel and Tourism, comments “Many of our Travel and Tourism students aspire to work within the leisure, tourism and events industries, and this enlightening conference really did showcase the breadth of careers available in this dynamic and hands-on sector. On the day our students heard from leading figures in industry who were able to give an authentic insight into the world of events management and showcased how no one day is the same for events staff! The conference not only developed the group’s understanding of topics they have been studying in the classroom, it has given our students aspiring to work in this industry a genuine insight into the varied and rewarding roles available to them. Our Travel and Tourism qualification can support progression to a wide range of career paths beyond the obvious, and this conference was a brilliant opportunity for our students to expand their horizons and develop their vision for the future.”
You can find out more about our Applied Travel and Tourism courses at our upcoming Open Event on Thursday 30 November. Read more about the event here.
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