The UK’s Association of Event Venues (AEV) has announced a partnership with the University of Greenwich in London to create a new Associate Academic status for Higher Education (HE) institutions, with the University of Greenwich acting as Founding Associate Academic Institution.
Plans for the academic partnership were created and concluded by Dr Peter Vlachos, principal lecturer, Faculty of Business, University of Greenwich, and Alden Arnold, project manager, AEV. Dr Vlachos will serve as the lead academic advisor and lead academic partner.
The partnership between the AEV and the University of Greenwich puts academic collaboration with the sector on a formal footing and provides a framework for HE and the venue sector to collaborate. Associate Academic status is designed to provide opportunities for students in event management to build relationships with, and an understanding of, the event venue industry and beyond, as a part of their studies.
Arnold said: “The University of Greenwich has a strong track record of collaborating with our member venues, particularly in London, bringing in fresh thinking and talent in event management through student placements and participation in events. Students at Greenwich have benefitted from real-world experience of the AEV, attending our 2021 Conference at The Business Design Centre and participating in an Event Management working group held at the University's Event Management faculty”.
Dr Vlachos explained why the University of Greenwich wanted to work with the AEV, saying, “Over the years we have collaborated on several schemes together and the AEV have always shown themselves to be extremely generous with their time, and the opportunities they have offered. The new Academic Associate function will help further the professionalisation of the live events and venues industry and support students in entering, contributing to and advancing in the industry.”
Rachel Parker, AEV director, said, “Our members have already provided a wealth of support to University Event Management students in isolation. Several universities have used AEV as a portal to reach those professionals within our industry who can offer mentorships and additional opportunities and this momentum is building.”
