Published: 5 October 2020
Fotios Vasileiou is a lecturer at the University of Sunderland in London, teaching our new BA (Hons) Events and Entertainment Management degree.
He talks to us about the course, where it can take you and why you should consider applying today.
“This year, we launched a degree focusing on events and entertainment management.
The course looks at the latest changes in the sector, including in fashion, wellness, motivational and luxury events, with a particularly global outlook.
According to government career data, jobs in events management start from around £17,000 and can go up to about £88,000.
There are plenty of other reasons to study the degree as well:
- There are only a few universities in the UK that combine events and entertainment management into one degree the way this course does.
- The events industry suits part-time working which means you can always find ways of boosting your income
- Having a degree in the relevant area increases your chances of promotion if you’re already working in events
- It could be your chance to shift careers and pursue your dream job
- You’ll get the knowledge and skills to start your own business in the events industry
Events vs Entertainment
So, what’s the difference between events and entertainment?
The simple answer is that, although they’re definitely connected, the two industries are distinct and come with some very different career paths.
Events jobs include things like working in festivals, arts and cultural events, social and political functions, exhibitions, conferences and more.
Roles you can expect to find in entertainment range from film and cinema, theatre, wellness, dance and modelling among many others.
Events vs Tourism
It’s not uncommon for people to confuse events and tourism, but there are a few major differences.
For one thing, tourism looks at the travel, hospitality and catering sector for international and domestic customers.
It’s often based around the planned repeated business in a way that doesn’t happen for events.
With hospitality, in particular, the first thing a good manager has to think about is a budget before they start planning for profits.
Events, on the other hand, are often based around human emotions; on the memories, your customers will come away with.
Some things to think about
- Our industry needs imagination, passion and creativity. We benefit from people who aren’t afraid to challenge things, make their voices heard and be open-minded.
- Don’t think of events as only having to do with tourism. Birthday parties, bazaars and local area festivals all count too.
- The image of an event is very important, especially when talking about entertainment. Think red carpets, fashion shows and modelling.
- Events often start without any budget at all. One of the challenges you’ll have to face is finding sponsorship.
- Keep in mind that the reason you’re running an event is for the excitement of your customers and the publicity it’ll bring to your organisation. Profit tends to be a secondary concern.
- Sometimes, the only target you’re aiming for is just giving back to your community. That’s what charity and fundraising events, for example, are all about.
Whatever you decide to do with your career in the events industry, your life will be different every day.
This is an amazing sector because there is a unique sense of satisfaction to seeing people smiling and happy; when you know you’ve helped them make a memory that will last a lifetime.”
If you’re interested in studying BA (Hons) Events and Entertainment, visit the course page.
To find out more about Fotios and his research interests, take a look at his Profile page. Find out more by following #WeAreSunLon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.