The UK Centre for Events Management (UKCEM) at Leeds Beckett University will be the official University Educational Partner for International Confex.
The agreement will see the subject of events management education brought to the fore as the centre celebrates 20 years of events management education in the UK.
The partnership will see the Leeds Beckett University UKCEM graduate-led Event Support Services team deliver a half-day student conference on the second day of the show (3 March); produced by students for students.
The team will host an alumni gathering bringing together graduates from the last 20 years of events management education, who are now working at all levels of industry.
The UKCEM team will also be taking the lead in an initiative called ‘The Big Conversation‘ which aims to bring industry and academia together to visualise what will be needed in terms of skills, knowledge and education in the next 20 years.
“This is a really important and timely conversation for our industry to be having when talent is top of the agenda, and we’re delighted to have the support of Confex in starting dialogue on what lies ahead in the next 20 years,” commented Jackie Mulligan, principal lecturer and director of enterprise for UKCEM.
“We’re bringing together some of the most successful and inspiring individuals as part of our Alumni, and putting them alongside event professionals and academics to get a 360 view on how industry and educators might collaborate and meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. It is a milestone to be 20 years on from starting events management at Leeds Beckett University in 1996, we now ask, what will the next 20 years bring and what might industry and education do differently?”
Liz Agostini, events director, International Confex, added: “This is another great partnership for the show, and more great educational content around UK Events Week, working with an organisation with over 20 years experience educating the next generations of event professionals. Professionalism and new talent in the industry is a big talking point at the moment and one we wanted to provide a platform for at International Confex.”
The partnership will also see the UKCEM have a stand presence at the show, allowing industry professionals to learn more about how events management is taught, how to gain online qualifications as well as part-time and full-time events management degrees and Masters qualifications and how they can support the education of the next generation of industry talent through placements and recruitment.
More information on the conference and other UKCEM activities will be released in the run up to the show.
International Confex takes place 2-3 March 2016 at Olympia London.
