Press Release - Progressing Policy for Tourism, Hospitality and Events Education
​The Government has much to say about the value of tourism, hospitality, and events to the UK economy.
A study produced in 2021 showed that in 2018 (Office for National Statistics (ONS)(1), the tourism industries contributed £127.5 billion to the UK’s economy. This equated to 6.7% of all GVA in the UK in 2018. In the same year 3.9 million people were employed in the tourism industries. The ONS calculated that the tourism direct gross value added (TDGVA) for 2018 was £71.7 billion(2).
In 2019 economic output of the hospitality sector was £59.3 billion, which was around 3% of total UK economic output. Hospitality businesses represented 3-5% of businesses in each country and region. In the three months to March 2020, there were 2.53 million jobs in the hospitality sector in the UK, representing 7.1% of total UK employment. The hospitality industry has higher proportions of younger workers, foreign-born workers, part-time workers and workers from minority ethnic backgrounds compared to other sectors. (3)
Reports by Cities Restart(4) and UKEVENTS5 placed direct spend on business events between £19.4bn and £31b in 2019, with leisure events adding a further £30bn. Post COVID 19 business events is expected to increase by 43% by 2026. In support, UK Sport’s analysis of 12 major sport events in 20226 (excluding the Commonwealth Games) revealed a 6:1 return on investment distributed across host towns and cities.
While there may be some cross-over in the data based on different definitions of THE, collectively this data highlights the significant contribution that these industries make to the UK economy, outperforming other sectors.
Effective training and education are critical to sustain and grow these sectors, and to create new jobs and further economic impact. Despite this, current education policy does not reflect this. Tourism, hospitality and events qualifications are under threat – both within Further Education and Higher Education – as a result of both direct policy decisions and the consequences of others.
In response, The Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE) (ATHE), Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME), and AEME (Association for Events Management Education) (AEME) have commissioned a study to evaluate the importance, impact and trajectory of qualifications across the three subject areas.
Please read the press release for further information.
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Reflections on The Opportunities and Challenges for Events Management Education
Our AEME Exec Members Glenn Bowdin and Dr Tim Brown delivered the opening keynote for AEME (Association for Events Management Education) 2023 at University of Gloucestershire on Thursday and opened up the conversations about the direction of travel for events management education.
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In this reflection, Glenn highlights some of the opportunities and challenges raised.
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Progressing Policy for Tourism, Hospitality and Events Education
This one day national conference on Wednesday 18th October 2023 focuses on training, education, skills and employability in the Tourism, Hospitality and Events Sectors. The event is a joint conference, organised by The Association for Tourism in Higher Education, The Council for Hospitality Management Education and The Association for Events Management Education and kindly hosted by the University of West London.
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ATHE/AEME/CHME Open Letter to Government
The Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE), working in partnership with The Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME) and The Association for Events Management Education (AEME) have produced an Open Letter to government which responds to policy changes affecting Further and Higher Education in the UK.
The letter, which highlights the importance and value of tourism, hospitality and events to the economy, sets out six points which we are asking Government to consider. We would like to ask colleagues to sign and support this letter, and to share it more widely.
The Letter can be found here - https://chng.it/5L6TN2rxhJ
AEME 2023: Registration Now Open
The Association for Events Management Education (AEME) is delighted that registration is now open for the 19th Annual Forum, hosted by the University of Gloucestershire from the 5th to 7th July 2023. Visit our conference site for further information about the programme and to book.
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AEME Exec Member Appointed Vice Chair and Treasurer of UKEVENTS
Glenn Bowdin, Treasurer and Executive Committee Member of AEME, has been appointed as a Vice Chair and Treasurer of UKEVENTS.
AEME Members Education Panel at GEI15 (Green Events & Innovations)
AEME members were pleased to take part in an Education panel at GEI15 (Green Events & Innovations) recently at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on February 28th 2023. The UK’s foremost conference for sustainability at live events is in its 15th year and held in conjunction with AGF (A Greener Future).
Proud UKEVENTS
Member
AEME has been a proud member of the British Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) for a number of years and support the rebrand to UKEVENTS
AEME 2023: Call for Papers
The Association for Events Management Education (AEME) is delighted to announce that the 19th Annual Forum will be hosted by the University of Gloucestershire from the 5th to 7th July 2023. The forum will focus on the theme of creating inclusive events via participation, pedagogy and practice.
AEME Announced As A Partner for The Power of Events
​During challenging times for both the events industry and Higher Education sector, we are pleased to announce that AEME have become a Partner Organisation for The Power of Events. The Power of Events aim to showcase, respect and value the power of the UK events industry.
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For further information, click here.
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28 July 2022
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AEME Student Awards 2022 - Winners Announced
​AEME is delighted to announce the winners of the AEME Student Awards 2022.
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For further information, click here.
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July 2022
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AEME 2022
Hosted by the Events, Tourism and Hospitality Department at the University of Northampton, this year the #AEME2022 Forum will be at the new University of Northampton Waterside campus on 6 & 7 July. The theme will be New Horizons: Working Together for a Better Future, focusing on stakeholders and relationships. For further information and the Call for Papers, please visit the conference website by clicking on the image below.
DEI Advisory Group
AEME has been a member of the UKEVENTS for a number of years and we now sit on their Advisory Group for DEI, set up by our own Caroline Jackson to tackle issues of diversity, equity and inclusion from a sector-wide perspective. READ MORE...
AEME Forum 2021
#AEME2021, the 17th AEME Events Management Educators Forum, was hosted by the University of Brighton, in partnership with the New Carnival Company and the Open Road carnival project. Click on the image below to visit the archived conference website.
AEME Student Awards 2021
AEME is delighted to announce the winners of the AEME Student Awards 2021. Read more ....
Sustainability SIG
Daniel Baxter and Mary Beth Gouthro have been representing AEME at the Meeting and Incentive Travel (M&IT) working group that is looking to drive the sustainability agenda across the events sector. READ MORE...
