Edinburgh Napier University

  This session explores issues surrounding the design and delivery of Event Management programmes, specifically those related to their resilience and futureproofing. It addresses the increasing demand for educators to respond to a diverse range of stakeholders. As each stakeholder has different notions and measures of efficacy, so a new and sometimes conflicting set of challenges and opportunity arise. Students require the skills to flourish in their careers and to shift aspirations and sector employment successfully (Barron & Knight, 2017). Employers expect graduates with skills and knowledge to fulfil employment needs quickly (Barron & Leask, 2012). Wider society want maximum value from qualifications and events. Sustainability and ethical practice are additional key priorities. Thus, graduates require sector specific knowledge and skills in addition to higher order, advanced knowledge, and managerial competences (Beavan & Wright, 2006; Bladen & Kennell, 2014; Barron & Knight, 2017). Simultaneously, graduates also require transferrable skills, the ability to transfer or transpose their sector specific knowledge to other areas, and contribute to the construction of new knowledge and practices as societies change. The Covid-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for innovation and transformation for events, for related industry, for education, and wider society. The world has had to adapt and evolve swiftly. Accordingly, this work discusses drivers and options for pedagogical tenor, curriculum design and curriculum delivery that is resilient and futureproofed for the needs of current and new stakeholders involved in, or else impacted by, managed events.