The worldwide events industry is forecast to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2028. Given its symbiotic relationship with the hospitality business, we highlight the potential for a hospitality degree to open up career paths in event management.
Live events come in all shapes and sizes, as do the roles and responsibilities on offer to those with the right knowledge and skills. Some examples include:
The global sports market is expected to be worth over $500 billion by the end of 2022. Every match, every race, every tournament is a micro economy in its own right, offering opportunities to organize corporate hospitality, sponsor’s events, VIP experiences and much more.
Conferences, trade fairs, media events… the world of corporate events is multi-faceted, and since the advent of Covid-19 we have also seen the growth in hybrid events which mix in-person and virtual attendees. Planning and organizing corporate events is a role which combines many of the hard and soft skills learned by studying a hospitality degree.
With new generations of luxury consumers increasingly valuing bespoke experiences over physical products, there’s a growing demand for event management professionals who understand the distinctive requirements of luxury management, in particular the flawless, personalized service which is ‘table stakes’ in this environment.
The very first choreographed ‘catwalk’ fashion show can be traced back to 1901 and a ground-breaking live display by the designer Lady Duff Gordon. Since then, fashion shows have evolved from behind-closed-doors events for industry insiders into high profile public events, often streamed live internationally. To be involved in organizing fashion-related events is to have an eye for creativity and ‘making a splash’, alongside solid event management knowledge.
Once a product of the counterculture, today’s blockbuster music festivals are corporate giants in their own right, with brands that are recognizable the world over. Their ephemeral nature (most have no permanent infrastructure) and truly international nature (of both performers and audience) make them especially exciting event experiences to be part of, as well as an ideal environment in which to use the intercultural fluency that comes as standard with studying at an international school like Glion.
As an event manager, you’ll be responsible for managing the complete process from the planning stage, through to running the event and carrying out the post-event evaluation.
If you are working for a specialist events agency, you’ll liaise closely with your clients to determine their exact requirements from the event.
Alternatively, if you are working for a body which organizes its own events, the decision-making process will be similar except it will be done in-house.
In the course of planning and executing the event, you can expect to:
As with all jobs, you’ll stand out from the crowd if you can demonstrate self-motivation and enthusiasm.
For the role itself, you will benefit from possessing a range of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills, such as:
While these skills can be honed ‘on the job’, to give yourself a head start on the career ladder, look for a degree where soft skills are part of the curriculum and which also offers opportunities to acquire ‘real world’ professional experience via internships.
