The NEC Group gives event students a taste of the industry

The NEC Group welcomes over 30 event management undergraduates to its campus in Birmingham for its annual Event Week Live programme.

Now in its 13th year, students from Birmingham City University, Coventry University, and for the first time, University College Birmingham, have been invited to meet, shadow, and network with industry professionals to give them invaluable experience for their studies.

Coinciding with National Careers Week, the focus for the cohort is to gain experience they otherwise would not have – hearing talks from people in different disciplines across the NEC including event management, security, sales, and marketing, plus those from the industry’s Association of Event Venues and not for profit organisation The Power of Events – the one place to go to learn about the full breadth of the UK events Industry.

In addition, the students are being given the opportunity to shadow event managers during one of the NEC’s biggest shows of the year – Crufts.

The week will culminate in a networking lunch for the students, with the Group inviting promoters and event organisers alongside senior team members to engage with the students.

Michelle Baldwin, Head of Events at the NEC and co-ordinator of Event Week Live, said: “A key priority for us at the Group is to showcase the variety of careers in live events and to generate career pathways for those in the region. We’re so proud of the Event Week Live programme. Being able to offer students this experience means a lot to me – seeing their growth in the week that they spend with us is just fantastic and thereafter for our ‘Elite’ students we continue to mentor for another 12 months.

“This year, we’ve expanded the initiative inviting students from University College Birmingham which means this will be our biggest cohort yet!”

Alden Arnold, Head of Commercial and Projects at the AEV, said: “We are proud to support Event Week Live once again, this year widening its reach by gaining presence from our venue and academic members. Engaging with future event professionals at this stage of their learning is vital and the experience they gain from interacting with all sides of our event industry is incredibly powerful.

“Opening Event Week Live doors wider supports our existing and evolving collaboration with academia and venues by providing further opportunities to those in higher education. We are thrilled to be involved.”

Rick Stainton, Founder of The Power of Events, said: “We are really proud to have NEC Group as a supporter of our mission and excited about being part of Event Week Live – in the 12 months since launch last year, www.thepowerofevents.org is fast becoming the one place to learn about the full breadth of the seven UK Events Industry sectors and showcasing the five core routes to get into events – uniquely designed by the industry for the industry.”

Kathryn Hayat, Head of Department (Hospitality & Tourism) at UCB, said: “The excitement amongst our Events Management students about Event Week Live has created such a buzz on campus! The week promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience for students, with many longer-term benefits to their careers as future event managers. We look forward to offering this to more students next year.”

A spokesperson from BCU, said: “It's a priority for us to support our students to gain industry experience during their degree, and allow them to network with experts in the industry. We're really pleased to be taking part in Event Week Live, which provides our students with invaluable professional opportunities.”

Benoit Senaux, subject lead for event & experience management at Coventry University, said: “The NEC Group Event Week Live is always a fantastic opportunity for our event management students to engage with industry experts and gain an invaluable behind-the-scenes experience. It highlights the many career opportunities available in this vibrant sector and we feel privileged to work with organisations like the NEC in developing the event managers of tomorrow."