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BA (Hons) Events Management

On BA (Hons) Events Management, you'll harness your creativity to design, develop and deliver unique experiences that enable you to stand out from the crowd and by applying skills, knowledge and imagination to push your creative boundaries and ensure that you thrive in the fast-growing festivals and events industry.

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Overview

The world of creative events is part of an exciting and fast-growing industry that requires a combination of creativity, experience, skills and imagination.

BA (Hons) Events Management course information

We’re looking for people who want to push creative boundaries, challenge perceptions and set the agenda for creative festivals and events.

The world of events and festivals is full of well-organised project managers. However, the most successful event managers are those that can also design experiences. Focusing on that blend of project management and design skill is what makes studying BA (Hons) Events Management at Arts University Bournemouth unique among event management courses. This course will provide you with the skills that you need to become not only the experienced manager that is at the heart of every event, but an experienced architect, a designer of time.

The ultimate creative process is to conceive and deliver unique experiences that stand out from the crowd and becomes a source of inspiration to others. During your studies, you'll work with peers from your course and collaborate across many relevant courses at AUB to design and deliver live events and festivals in every year of your course.

The practical nature of BA (Hons) Events Management means you'll have opportunities to build a portfolio that potential employers will find attractive. Alongside your academic studies you'll also be offered further opportunities to add to that portfolio including a formal work placement. It's the stories that you tell about the many projects you worked on and the contacts that you make with our stakeholders that'll help you to seamlessly transition into the career you want to pursue.

Our course's alumni are among some of the most successful and creative event managers in our industry. When you join us, you'll be taking the first step towards joining them. Our graduates have gone on to use their design and management skills in festival production, experiential marketing, brand activations, fashion shows, wedding planning, managing world-class museums, and fundraising for leading charities.

We'll connect you with our network and a range of industry practitioners via guest lectures and site visits to events and festivals. Many students secure employment via the network of contacts that they develop on the course.

Course duration

3 or 4 years (full-time)

Placement

Option of a 1-year placement

UCAS course code

WN12

UCAS institution code

A66

Placement year

All undergraduate courses at AUB offer an optional placement year, to be taken between your second and third years of study.

If you’re unsure about this optional placement, you don’t need to decide now. Once you’re here and studying with us, the course team will discuss the placement options with you, so when the time comes, you can make a decision that’s right for you.

Level 4 (first year)

Forming small production teams with support from your tutors and the audio-visual technical team, you'll learn to design and deliver unique experiences that are safe, well organised and that have an audience. You'll deliver your first live event during the first semester of your first year.

With guest lectures from specialist speakers, you’ll be introduced to different sectors of the events industry and the way they operate. We'll also take some time to research and understand the potential impacts of your work on the environment and the communities and stakeholders that engage with your work. Finally, your live event project will be a themed one-day festival that you deliver during the summer term.

Level 5 (second year)

In your second year, you’ll progress to more specialist study, building on experience gained in your first year. Your live event project will be an opportunity for you to work with an external client, designing an experience that fulfils their requirements. You'll also develop your research skills by learning how to develop programmes that respond to specific audiences, understand how events and festivals can be vehicles for positive change in society and learn how to pitch for investment for a new creative enterprise.

In the summer term, you'll either undertake a short six-week work placement or prepare for a year-long placement, both of which will allow you to put your skills into practice, working in an industry setting.

Level 6 (third year)

In your third year, the focus is on your independent learning, preparing you to transition into the world of work.

You'll either work with an organisation in the event industry, researching their business to operate as a consultant and make recommendations for the strategic plan of your host organisation, or you can choose to research a topic in depth and produce a dissertation that allows you to become an expert in your chosen sector of the event industry.

Finally, you'll design a major event and pitch your idea to your colleagues, stakeholders and alumni. Working as part of a production team with funding from the course, support from your tutors and the audio-visual technical team, the culmination of your studies will be to conceive and deliver a unique experience that stands out from the crowd and becomes a source of inspiration to those that will follow you.

Our BA (Hons) Events Management course has been recognised as one of the best in the UK:

  • Top 3 course – Guardian University Guide 2024, Hospitality, Event Management and Tourism League Table
  • Top 5 course for graduate employability – Complete University Guide 2024 University League Table
  • Top 10 course in Tourism, Transport, Travel and Heritage Studies – Complete University Guide 2024 University League Table
  • Best Live Event – Association for Events Management Education Awards (AEME) 2022

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Open Days

Open Days are a great way to get a feel for undergraduate life at AUB. At an Open Day, you'll be able to explore the campus, talk to course teams and discover our industry-standard facilities.

Visit us on:

  • 7 December 2024

Book an Open Day
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AUB SHOWCASE

We're proud of our alumni, and rightfully so.

Explore the incredible work of our freshly graduated 'Class of 2024' in our online AUB Showcase.

Browse work by course, student or theme.

Discover AUB Showcase

Meet the BA (Hons) Events Management course leader

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Kevin Chambers Course Leader, BA (Hons) Events Management

M.Sc., PGCLTHE, BA (Hons), FHEA

Watch our course video

Find out how our students study BA (Hons) Events Management here at AUB.

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Our events

AUB is a microcosm of the creative industries and, each year, you'll have the opportunity to collaborate with creative practitioners and external stakeholders to design, develop and deliver creative festivals and events. In your final year, you'll work on an ambitious major event, putting all your acquired skills and knowledge to the test and producing work of a professional standard.

Take a look at some of our previous events.

Application process

Once you've found the perfect Undergraduate course, you can apply to study via UCAS, including direct entry applications to second and third year.

When applying through UCAS, use the institution code A66 for courses taught at Arts University Bournemouth. For courses based at Bournemouth and Poole College, use code B49. We'll then use your completed UCAS form to make decisions about your application. You can find out more on entry requirements in our apply section.

When you apply to one of our courses, it's important that you help us get a good picture of both you and your work – so you'll need a great personal statement. We want to know more about why you're interested in the course, your key influences, and what you hope to do after your studies.

If you're invited for an interview, many of our courses will ask to see a portfolio of your work so we can get more insight into your ideas and abilities. To help you, we've created guidelines outlining what we expect from your portfolio for each course.

The fee that you pay the Arts University Bournemouth provides the necessary equipment and training for you to complete your course.

You may also choose to buy some items of personal equipment such as a laptop or tablet computer, but this is not required; desktop and laptop computers are available for you to use in common study areas, including a loan system in the Library.

If you decide to undertake an optional placement year, the tuition fee is £1,850. This is subject to inflationary increases based on government policy, and providing you progress through the course in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

For the majority of our courses, we'll ask you to digitally submit a portfolio as part of the application process.

Portfolios should show examples of your work – both finished and work in progress – that demonstrate your interests and skills. We expect to see around 10 slides/images in your portfolio that shows your identity as an artist.

If we ask for a digital portfolio then we'll give you 30 days to submit it. Sometimes we'll need a portfolio submitted quickly if there's a UCAS set deadline approaching, but if you need more time, just let us know and we'll try to help.

We've created specific portfolio guidelines for each of our courses, you can take a look at these below.

If you've applied to study an online postgraduate (MA) degree, please refer to the AUB Online portfolio guidelines.

This course will require you to attend an in-person audition and/or interview. If you're invited to one, you'll be given at least 10 days notice.

Studios and resources

You’ll learn in flexible spaces with the very latest in digital technology.

We provide all the resources that you’ll find in an events business. You’ll be able to work with equipment sourced specifically for your live projects, including lighting, sound, projection, staging and exhibition materials.

Events Management Resources

Students will have access to the resources that you’d expect to find in a real events business.

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Palace Court Theatre

The Palace Court Theatre is a 1930s Art Deco theatre building, situated in Bournemouth town centre.

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TheGallery

Our in-house gallery, TheGallery, is a major resource for contemporary art and design in the South of England

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The Library

The Library at AUB holds an excellent range of print and online collections

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3D Workshop

Our 3D workshops with manual and digital manufacturing equipment and computers

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Drawing Studio

Our iconic blue Drawing Studio is used by student from all courses and was designed by alumnus Sir Peter Cook​...

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Digital Suites

Our Digital Suites offer a digital post-production facility and digital teaching space.

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Central Media Store

The Central Media store houses a diverse array of equipment, offering students the means to craft and capture...

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Innovation Studio

The Innovation Studio operates as a lab for creative technologies, a nucleus for start-ups and enterprises and an industry engagement hub.

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Lecture Theatres and Seminar Rooms

We have a number of lecture theatres and seminar rooms scattered around campus to assist students with their studies.

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Printroom

Our printmaking facilities are a hub of creativity on campus and have been inspiring students since 1964.

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Letterpress and Bindery

The Letterpress and Bindery studio is a central resource, where students can learn and explore bookbinding and letterpress printing.

Teaching, learning and assessment

The BA (Hons) Events Management degree aims to provide students with a creatively focused learning experience, which supports their personal and collective growth and confidence as they develop into competent event designers and managers.

The course aims to develop students’ skills in generating creative and complex event design ideas that are both realistic and realisable.

Students will engage in project-based learning that enables them to explore and develop awareness of the domains of events management including financial, logistical, operational marketing, resource, and risk management.

The BA (Hons) Events Management course is taught through a blend of theoretical instruction, practical workshops, project based learning and independent study. It utilises a variety of methods, including lectures, workshops, and both studio-based and public facing practice. Emphasis is placed on hands-on learning, investigating theoretical concepts by developing live projects that stimulate a deep learning approach and provide opportunities for students to engage with a wide range of learning styles. Students will develop resilience and learn through constructive failure. Students will listen, verbalise, visualise, and engage in kinaesthetic learning via the workshops and the projects that they produce.

Industry-standard resources are used extensively to provide students with valuable, up-to-date technical skills. Regular feedback from tutors ensures continuous improvement, while guest lectures from industry professionals provide unique insights and specialist points of view. The course encourages self-directed study, fostering creativity and independent problem-solving skills.

Learning is through intellectual enquiry, research, and practice. The course outcomes are met by deploying a wide variety of teaching and learning methods supervised by members of the team, visiting academic tutors, and support staff, practitioners, and consultants from industry. In consultation with the Course Leader, the wider course team are responsible for co-ordinating individual units of study, and for selecting appropriate methods of delivery in accordance with the subject matter and to provide the best student learning experience.

Importance is placed upon students acquiring the skills to be able to learn independently and to develop a critical awareness. This is facilitated through a variety of learning and teaching methods such as individual and group tutorials, group discussions, peer learning and assessment, project-based learning, lectures, workshops, seminars, study visits, demonstrations, skills-based workshops, educational visits, on-site learning, working with external clients, developing learning agreements and presenting both in groups and individually.

Theoretical, contextual, and authentic professional practices are embedded within all units. This integration dissolves the artificial barriers between these forms of engagement, allowing students to fully realise their potential and truly understand the rich relationship between theory, practice, and the wider, practical context of their work.

The total study time allocated to each unit in the course incorporates a balance of formal teaching, tutorial support and independent learning. The course is structured progressively to provide increased opportunities for independent and scaffolded learning as students reach the later stages of the course. The promotion of independent learning reflects a student's anticipated maturity and allows them to direct their learning towards individual goals.

All our assessments are authentic to the world of events management and reflect the skills that you need to develop. That means that there are no exams; the assessments are a mix of practical and written submissions.

Formative assessment and feedback take place following both group and individual presentations of work in progress. This formative assessment approach is transparent and promotes the summative assessment as part of the learning within the unit of study. Students will learn not only from the feedback and discussion relating to their own work but also from that of their peers

You'll receive a final mark for each unit in the form of a percentage, which will be recorded on your formal record of achievement (transcript). Each component of assessment is graded using a notched marking scale, whereby only certain marks are used within each grade. The only marks available within any ten-point band are *2, *5 and *8 (e.g. 62, 65, 68). These marks correspond to a low, mid, and high level of achievement within each grade band.

All learning outcomes must be passed to successfully complete the unit.

On successful completion of your Honours degree course, you'll be awarded a degree classification based on your unit marks. The final classification is determined using all unit marks at Levels 5 and 6 using two different algorithms, which are detailed in the HE Student Regulations. If the two algorithms produce different results, you'll be awarded the higher class of degree.

If you've joined Level 6 through either the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) route or having completed a Foundation Degree (FdA), the final classification is determined using only your unit marks at Level 6.

For further information on assessment, progression, awards and classifications, please visit viewpoint.aub.ac.uk.

What our BA (Hons) Events Management graduates are doing

We’ll give you the skills to ensure you thrive in the events industry.

Many of our BA (Hons) Events Management graduates have gone to do incredible things, such as running festivals like Boomtown, Camp Bestival, Wilderness, Secret Garden Party, and The End Of The Road, as well as working at venues like London’s Roundhouse and the Science Museum, and working for companies like Spotify and ITV.

Our students can be found in all parts of today’s creative industries. Here are just a few:

  • Production Manager at Boomtown Fair and Co-founder of Shangri-la, Glastonbury
  • Head of Operations at Designwerk
  • Global People and Development Manager at Moving Brands
  • Managing Director at Port Eliot Festival
  • Head of Event Production at Somerset House
  • Marketing Executive at BH Live
  • Director at MRC Presents
  • Head of Visitor Events at Natural History Museum
  • Marketing Manager at Spotify
  • Project Manager at ITV Experiences
  • Production Manager and Music Booker at Secret Garden Party
  • Operations Manager at Royal Horticultural Society
  • Programming and Producing Trainee at Sheffield Theatres
  • Senior Event Manager The Royal Parks
  • Senior Events Officer, Arts and Events at Bristol City Council
  • Music Programme Co-ordinator at Boomtown Fair
  • Owner, Founder, Director, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee/Entrepreneur
  • Events Operations Manager at Tate
  • Head of Programme at Coventry City of Culture
  • Events Manager at the Bovington Tank Museum
  • Production Director for Swans Events

You can read more about what some BA (Hons) Events Management graduates are up in the profiles below.

Suzi Dent

Suzi Dent

Senior Event Manager at the Royal Parks, London...

Jimmy Cregan

Jim Cregan

Co-founder of Jimmy's Iced Coffee...

Eleanor Mottram on Cutty Sark

Eleanor Mottram

Head of Programme, Coventry City of Culture Trust 2021...

Image of Jo Vidler

Jo Vidler

Creative Director, elrowFamily, Barcelona...

Image of Robin Collings

Robin Collings

Co-founder and Producer, Shangri-La Glastonbury & Production Manager, Boomtown Fair...

Image of Andrew Harding

Andrew Harding

Agent/Producer and Managing Director, Andrew Harding Management...

Image of Poppy Handy

Poppy Handy

Managing Director, Port Eliot Festival & Area Coordinator, Worthy View Glastonbury...

Image of Lucy Woodbridge

Lucy Woodbridge

Head of Visitor Events, Natural History Museum...

Image of Rosie Leo

Rosie Leo

Marketing & Events Co-ordinator at Krowji, Cornwall’s Creative Hub...

Image of Ruth Newman

Ruth Newman

Ruth worked on the opening ceremony for the New Louvre in Abudhabi...

Image of Lauren Townsend

Lauren Townsend

Programming and Producing trainee, Sheffield Theatres & Committee Member, Stage Sight (led by UK Theatre)...

Headshot of B Neale

Beth Neale

Account Executive, Exposure Promotions...

Holly Brooker portrait

Holly Brooker

Marketing Manager, Spotify...

James Brennan portrait

James Brennan

Founding Director and Promoter, Red Rooster Festival; General Manager and Production Manager...

Natalie Davies portrait

Natalie Davies

Project Manager, ITV experiences...

Melissa Inman portrait

Melissa Inman

Senior Events Officer, Arts and Events, Bristol City Council...

Headshot of A Spackman

Andrew Spackman

Senior Lecturer and course director for BA (Hons) Illustration and Graphics, Coventry University. Experimental electronic musician...

Nicholas Bartlett profile

Nicholas Bartlett

Artist, Art Director, Creative Production Manager...

Vashti portrait

Vashti Waite

Executive Director, In Between Time (live arts company)...

Giorgia Garancini portrait

Giorgia Garancini

Student Union President, Arts University Bournemouth...

Four people pose for a photo at a festival

Tara Phillips

Music Programme Coordinator, Boomtown Fair...

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Violet McClean

Senior Gallery Officer/Curator, The Gallery Arts University Bournemouth...

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Maria Thomas

Programme Manager, Cause 4...

Louise Giadom portrait

Louise Giadom

MA Marketing, Distribution, Sales and Exhibition student at National Film and Television School...

Trips and visits

As part of BA (Hons) Events Management, you'll also take part in course trips. Previous trips have included:

  • Outdoor Festival, South Coast
  • Immersive Art Experience, London
  • Notting Hill Carnival artists' studio, London
  • Immersive Theatre Experience, South Coast

*Trips are optional and may occasionally incur additional costs

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Latest from BA (Hons) Events Management

See more of our student work

Event Managers conceive, plan and deliver all kinds of events throughout the creative industries.

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