Placement year

Students that wish to broaden their experience in different types of events will also be given the option to swap a rotation in our Events and Conference team for an external work experience during Level 5 of the course. This experience will last 4 weeks, and needs to be instigated by you. The Placement team at the University of Essex and staff of the Edge Hotel School will assist you in sourcing opportunities as well as improving your interview and CV-writing skills. This external work experience will be assessed in the same as your rotations in Wivenhoe House hotel and is a chance for you to experience a broad set of events that you might wish to pursue within your career.

Our expert staff

Our staff includes lecturers with both professional as well as academic backgrounds to ensure you are taught by people with industry-relevant experience themselves. Among our academic staff are a former organiser of the BRIT Awards, London Fashion Week and events for Her Majesty The Queen, a former hotel General Manager, a former Food and Beverage Manager for award-winning cruise lines and a Dr. (PhD) with international research experience.

Specialist facilities

• Wivenhoe House, where you will gain experience, is a 40-bedroom country house hotel on the university campus with a brasserie restaurant and a busy conference and events function that hosts over 300 events and 50 weddings annually. If for any reason the hotel is subject to closures during rotations, we have developed a comprehensive platform of online skills and experience workshops to replicate the practical experience offer as closely as possible.
• The Edge Hotel School has connections with a range of organisations across the hospitality and events industries – throughout your studies you can expect guest lectures, masterclasses and an annual careers fair to help further your career prospects. Supporters of the Edge Hotel School include The O2, The Arora Group, BaxterStorey, Claridges, Dorchester Collection, EDITION Hotels, Exclusive Hotels and Venues, Georgian House Hotel, Hand Picked Hotels, The Landmark London,Levy UK and Ireland, Moet Hennessey, Milsoms Hotels and Restaurants, Royal Lancaster London, the Savoy Educational Trust, Sbe – among many others.
• The Edge Hotel Society hosts student-organised events including industry speakers, student social events and an annual ball.
• As an Edge Hotel School student you will be issued with a uniform to wear for your shifts in Wivenhoe House and when representing the School externally. You will just need to provide your own white shirts and black shoes.

Your future

The combination of practical experience and academic learning on our BA (Hons) Events Management with Hospitality gives our students a distinct advantage when starting their careers. The event and hospitality industry are excited by the calibre of our graduates and there are opportunities throughout the course to meet recruitment managers and network.

Graduates of the Events Management with Hospitality programme can go onto careers in:

• Events management
• Wedding planning
• Venue management
• Festival planning and management
• Food and beverage management
• Marketing and sales
• Cruise ships and airlines

The events industry is a truly global sector that can give our graduates exciting opportunities to travel the world and experience new cultures, all whilst building essential skills and knowledge for a successful, enjoyable career.

Teaching

• Your fast track two-year Events Management with Hospitality degree will be divided into three 8-month levels (Level 4, Level 5 and Level 6).
• During a teaching week you would spend around 4 hours in lectures, or smaller seminars, Monday – Friday.
• During a hotel week you would spend 4 or 5 days on shift, Monday – Sunday, gaining experience and applying the academic theory from your lectures. Most of your time will be spent in the conference and events department, but you will also gain some experience in reception, the kitchens and restaurant.
• During the final level of the course (Level 6) you will spend up to 5 weeks working on an Events Project. The remainder of the last 8-months will be spent in lectures/seminars and working on your assessments and dissertation.
• Our two-year accelerated degrees include around 6 weeks of annual holiday. Holiday weeks are not necessarily over seasonal periods such as Christmas and hotel shifts over Christmas/New Year are an important part of our two-year courses.
• Our two-year accelerated degrees do not follow the standard termly timetable, as students are expected to work and study through the Christmas, Easter and Summer breaks. Please contact the professional services team at ehs@essex.ac.uk for more information.

Assessment

Your Events Management with Hospitality degree has been designed to provide a mix of assessment approaches, including:

• Essays
• Exams
• Posters
• Presentations
• Reflective statements
• Reports
• Dissertation
• Events Project. The Events Project in Level 6 consists of an individual report, a presentation and a group report focusing on a real-life event with an external client. This is your opportunity to organise a live event for an external client from start to finish.
• The Professional Performance Assessment (PPA) which takes the form of an interview is used throughout our courses to allow you to reflect, practise and improve your interview skills before embarking on interviews for your first graduate role.
• The Professional Code of Conduct is an important part of your assessment. It focuses on areas that are important for future managers such as attendance, punctuality and team working. The Professional Code of Conduct is available in your Student Handbook.