Students get their groove on through Event Delivery and Management module

International Tourism and Event Management students were recently handed the opportunity to develop their professional skills, while also embracing the Common Good ethos of GCU.

Earlier this year, second year Undergraduate students completed the Event Delivery and Management module. Students teamed up in groups and were tasked with delivering their very own event on a £100 budget.

The proceeds were then divided between the groups chosen charity and a GCU fund, which provides students with access to laptops and other equipment to support them during their time at university.

Raphael Comberousse was one of those involved and gave an insight into his group’s event. He said: “We had considered a few different options about what sort of event to deliver. Eventually, we decided to use SurveyMonkey to see what people would be interested in. Through that, we found out there was considerable appetite for a music-related event with a throwback spin on it.

We took this concept and decided to go with a night that focused on music from the 1970s through to the noughties. We felt it would be a popular choice because the likes of Spotify have playlists set up looking at the same sort of timeline. It was all just about having light entertainment for everyone in attendance.”

The event was held in April at Revolution Glasgow, which was chosen due to its close proximity to Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central – just one of the many factors Raphael and his group had to consider throughout the planning phase.

He explained: “The whole idea behind the module itself was great because it got us thinking about things like marketing and different types of costs (both variable and fixed). It also allowed us to conduct situational analysis, such as SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats), as well as looking at legal factors, such as licensing and legislation.

I was the main risk assessor for the event and had to make sure I considered all hazards and what the plan was if something went wrong on the night. Thankfully everything went well and I didn’t have to worry!”

Raphael also explained what those in attendance were treated to on the night: “We held a raffle because we knew it would be a good way of generating funds. Prizes on offer included vouchers for David Lloyd Clubs and La Lanterna restaurant in Glasgow.

There was also a variety of fun music-related games throughout the evening, such as fill in the lyrics and guess the song in three seconds.

Our target was to have 60 people there, however, we managed to get 70 attendees on the night, which was amazing!”

The raffle and entertainment obviously had the desired effect, with an impressive grand total raised for their chosen charity.

Raphael said: “All in, we managed to raise £381.49. Obviously before it we were really nervous about how it would all go but we were pleased to make that amount of money.

We were fundraising for the EmilyTest Charity, who are helping to raise awareness around gender based violence in education across Glasgow and Scotland. It’s a great cause and there was also a personal side to it as well; one of our group members knew the person who the charity was set up in memory of.”

With this summer marking the halfway point of his degree, Raphael was grateful to have had the experience of delivering an event.

He said: “It was hugely important for everyone to get a taste of the career ahead of us. It really opened our eyes to the different roles actually involved and the type of things that have to be taken into consideration, such as targets and risks.

I’m hoping there will be more opportunities for me to develop with something like this again in future.”

By Ross Clark          
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or connect with me on Twitter