Creative Events Management

Falmouth's Creative Events Management course has entrepreneurship and employability at its heart. Based in the Academy of Music and Theatre Arts (AMATA), we offer an alternative approach to the conventional business school approach. With a 96% rating for student satisfaction (NSS 2015), you'll design and deliver live events in a variety of settings to develop the skills you need to produce memorable events.

The course prepares you to manage a wide variety of innovative events from music festivals to special events, touring performances to fashion shows. We'll equip you with creative approaches for product launches, conferences, exhibitions, weddings and corporate events.

Falmouth is the perfect place for this pioneering degree, which sets business acumen, entrepreneurship, innovation and partnership firmly within the creative mindset that we're known for. Working alongside other courses, you'll design and deliver events across both our campuses as well as off site on a range of live briefs.

Benefits

• Designing and delivering a range of events, on and off campus
• Theory, practical and technical experience, taught by events professionals in one of the finest performing arts facilities of its kind
• You'll be based in AMATA, a working venue, offering a year-long public programme, with opportunities to shadow producers, and to book, promote and manage events
• Tailored learning for your chosen career
• Live projects and placements with local and national organisations, practitioners and the media
• Visiting expertise from a range of industry experts, helping you build essential networks in industry
• Work experience placements and site visits

How the course is taught

This is a practice-led course, blending experiential process with essential theory, and taught by experienced event practitioners. You'll work on live briefs, projects and events, supported by expert visiting speakers and specialist staff at The Performance Centre.

Project work will be supported by lectures, seminars, workshops, professional experience and tutorials, to ensure you're inspired, engaged and supported to develop well-informed, safe professional practices. You can focus your individual work to specialise in your area of interest. This allows you to develop your own tailored pathway towards your chosen career or postgraduate destination, while benefiting from interdisciplinary opportunities and collaboration including shared cultural modules.

You''ll gain an understanding of the cultural impacts and organisation of events, while also exploring the operational demands of the sector, from marketing and technical skills to managing resources and working with clients.

Throughout the course you'll gain the transferable skills needed to create and sustain business organisations; developing your management of complexity, uncertainty and diversity along with a detailed understanding of how the creative and cultural sectors function. Particular emphasis will be placed on creativity, sustainability and digital futures, preparing you to excel in an ever-evolving cultural landscape.

As your learning progresses, so too will your exposure to live briefs and events. The 2nd year offers the chance to deliver two live events, while your final major project requires you to work with a blend of stakeholders, delivering an event as part of AMATA''s annual student festival.

Year 1

Taught by our expert staff, you'll develop an understanding of cultural impacts and organisations while gaining a firm grounding in the processes of events planning. You'll explore everything from marketing and technical skills to managing resources and engaging with clients. You'll also develop team working and presentational skills, shadow Performance Centre staff and benefit from opportunities to steward public events.

• CMP110 The Impact of the Cultural Sector
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  In this module, you will consider the creative industries, sport, tourism and heritage sectors, including the impact of external factors on industry practice and the influence of cultural organisations and events on society. You will also receive venue and technical inductions as context for cultural production.
• CEM120 Professional Development
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  The working life of a professional events management practitioner is a process of ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Practitioners need to be adept at a range of business skills including networking, working under pressure, project management, teamwork, numeracy, and verbal, IT and written communication skills. In this module, you will identify and develop a range of key professional attributes through taught sessions and by undertaking an industry placement.
• CEM 130 Introduction to Events & Resource Planning
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  This module will provide an introduction to events from a local, national and international perspective and identify fundamental sectoral principles. The module develops your awareness of events and the pervasive issues that inform practice, including the role of digital content, innovation and sustainability.
• CMP 140 Understanding Cultural Organisations
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  Efficient, legal and empowering management structures, systems and strategies are critical to the success of cultural organisations. In this module, you will consider all aspects of organisational structure paying particular attention to business structure, economics and human resources, and the effect they have on the success of a cultural organisation.
• CEM 150 Events Management Practice
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  Business and financial management skills are key attributes for the successful events manager. In this module, you will further develop your core management skills through taught sessions and a new industry placement.
• CEM 160 Marketing for Events
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  Understanding target markets and effectively marketing to and communicating with audiences, is crucial to successful events management practice. In this module, you will learn the basic principles of marketing and apply them to an event scenario.

Year 2

In your second year you'll continue to develop peer and self-evaluation skills as you explore innovative possibilities for delivering successful events. Live briefs, expert speakers and The Performance Centre's public programme will add context to your studies. You'll also apply your critical and cultural appreciation to deliver two live events and consider innovation in the events industry.

• CMP 210 Critical & Cultural Appreciation
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  In this module you will critically assess, evaluate and reflect upon differences and developments within the cultural industries at national and international levels.
• CEM 220 Collaborative Planning Event 1
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  Working on live projects is a core facet of events management. In this module, you will work in groups to produce and run an event project based in The Performance Centre.
• CEM 230 Resource Plan for Cornish Client
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  Cornwall offers a live laboratory to engage with the operation of a range of cultural organisations and venues which host event activity. In this module you will develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of resource planning, and will explore the concept of consultancy by developing a creative event proposal for a 'client' in Cornwall.
• CEM 240 Event Case Study
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  The ability to research, analyse and evaluate behaviours in the event industry and wider related environment is an essential skill in professional event management practice. In this module you will be taught the formal principles and methodologies of research practice. You will then identify, select, critically analyse and evaluate event environment ideas, perspectives, theories or data relevant to an appropriate area of study, and complete a written research report.
• CEM 250 Collaborative Planning Event 2
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  In this module, you will work in groups to produce, promote and run an event at an off campus location. You will undertake risk assessments, produce event schedules, create marketing plans and explore aspects of group work theory to enhance your skills in working within project teams.
• CEM 260 Business Innovation in Events
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  Innovation and entrepreneurship is at the core of the events industry and all other business sectors. New products and services are constantly being developed and taken to market. In this module, you will learn about the new concept development process from idea to implementation.

Year 3

By your final year you'll have the confidence and skills to get increasingly hands-on with organising and delivering a more complex, multi-agency, applied cultural event project as part of our annual student festival. This might be a live event or a theoretical one, which you digitally design and test. Connecting with the media and creative industries both on and off campus, you'll build valuable relationships to launch your career on graduation.

• CEM 310 Professional Practice
  (40 credits 20 ECTS)
  Graduates must creatively market themselves to potential employers, funders and educational institutions; evidencing employability skills and knowledge of current industrial practice. In this module you will assemble and assess a portfolio of professional practice and provide in depth reflection on a recent placement.
• CEM 320 Event Futures 
  (20 credits 10 ECTS)
  Leadership, entrepreneurialism, a critical understanding of your industry, future scanning for new trends, products or services and acting creatively are critical success factors in professional practice. In this module, you will consider the ethical and environmental sustainability, digital, and international futures for events management in social, cultural, political and economic contexts.
• CEM 330 Applied Event Project
  (60 credits 30 ECTS)
  In this module you will design, implement and evaluate a complex applied group (live or theoretical) event project.

Requirements

• The UCAS Tariff is changing. A typical offer will be between 104 and 120 UCAS points for entry to undergraduate courses, primarily from Level 3 equivalent qualifications such as A levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma or a Foundation Diploma. You can check how many points your qualifications are worth using the UCAS Tariff Calculator
• Due to the creative nature of our courses, you will be considered on your own individual merit and potential to succeed. We encourage you to get in touch if you are predicted points below this range, thinking about transferring from another institution, or if you have other qualifications or professional experience as we may be able to consider you.
• You must have a minimum of Grade 4 (or C) or above in GCSE English Language, or equivalent, for entry to our undergraduate courses.
• If English is not your first language, we accept a range of recognised language qualifications that are equivalent to the IELTS Academic minimum score of 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. If you require a Tier 4 student visa to study in the UK, you must take an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) to fulfil government visa requirements. 

Scholarships

Scholarships for International Students

Through the award of scholarships we aim to support academic enrichment by encouraging diversity and excellence at Falmouth. In 2016 Falmouth University awarded £70,000 worth of international scholarships.

International Scholarships for 2017 will be announced on this page in November 2016. 

Parental Contribution

For students whose household income is over £25,000 and are therefore receiving less than the maximum support from Student Finance, it is expected that they will also receive some support from parents or partners with whom they usually permanently reside. It is a good idea to chat this through when planning your finances before coming to University.

Part-time work

Some students work part time in jobs at local bars, hotels and restaurants, usually paid at the minimum wage. We recommend that you do no more than 15 hours part-time work each week during term time to ensure that you are able to concentrate on your studies. Some students find work with chain stores at home before coming to University and then ask for a transfer to branches in Falmouth at the start of term. There is also work available over the summer months if you choose to stay in the area. Please visit the Creative Futures page for further details.

University Bursaries and Other Awards

Falmouth University offers a programme of bursary support to students who are assessed by Student Finance as having a qualifying income, and others with specific needs. Different arrangements are in place for different cohorts - please see the information opposite that relates to you as either a 'Pre-2016 Starter' or 'New Entrant in September 2016'.