The AEME Sustainability SIG was very pleased and honoured to once again to host a sustainability panel at the prestigious GEI 17 the Green Events & Innovations Conference and A Greener Future on Feb 25th.

Moderated by AEME chair Adrian Bossey and featuring Mary Beth Gouthro and Naheed Akhtar, research from AEME members Cardiff Metropolitan University, the Bournemouth University Business School and University of West of Scotland and their Centre for Culture, Sport and Events CCSE were profiled on the panel 'Social Sustainability of EDI in Festivals: Challenge or Opportunity?'

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​With a focus on issues around EDI, festival research undertaken by Dr Karen Davies, Dr Nic Matthews and Dr Vicky Richards from Cardiff Metropolitan University and Dr Mary Beth Gouthro from Bournemouth University explored the issue of inclusivity and access to music festivals for people living in poverty and low incomes within a context of rising ticket prices and increasing commercialisation of music festivals.  Action research undertaken in phases studied the problem of rising ticket prices, input from festival stakeholders and poverty specialists, and workshops with festival organisers revealed a new awareness of the growing issue.  Follow on plans to build on existing and burgeoning support programmes to support those on low incomes and suit the ethos of festival stakeholders were explored.  

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Further details here.

We are delighted to announce that we have partnered with the Event Management Journal for the AEME Forum 2025, with an opportunity for papers to feature at the forum and within a Special Issue for EMJ. Please see attached information about this special issue, or via this link: Special Issue - Events and the Digital Landscape

The AEME Forum 2025 is being hosted at Chester Business School from the 1st – 3rd July 2025, with the main theme focussing on ‘Events in the digital landscape’.

Sub-themes may incorporate but not limited to:

• The evolving digital event landscape

• Virtual Events

• Hybrid Events

• AR/VR and Events

• AI and Events

• Sustainability in digital events

• Inclusivity in digital events

• Events & technology 

• We would also welcome papers on broader events related topics: event experiences, event design, event planning & processes, event destinations, event impacts, event safety, event marketing, etc.

• We also welcome submissions from other related fields, such as Tourism and Hospitality.

The deadline for abstracts has been extended until Friday 16th May 2025 and the call for papers for the AEME 2025 Forum remains open until the deadline.

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Further details here.

Glenn Bowdin, Treasurer and Executive Committee Member of AEME, has been appointed as a Chair of UKEVENTS. 

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UKEVENTS hosted a special exhibition in Parliament to highlight the vital contribution of the UK events industry to the national economy, 3-6 February. Over four days, UKEVENTS representatives engaged with MPs and Lords, emphasising the £61.6 billion value of the sector and its pivotal role in supporting local economies, driving business tourism, and creating jobs across the country.

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With over 700,000 people employed in the sector, the UK events industry plays a crucial role in economic growth. The exhibition provided a unique opportunity for policymakers to connect with event industry leaders and gain a deeper understanding of the sector’s value and its potential for future expansion.

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​Glenn Bowdin, Treasurer, AEME & Chair, UKEVENTS said: “Education and skills development are integral to a thriving events industry and for attracting and retaining talent. We were keen to support this event for our industry to highlight how through events management degrees, masters and event apprenticeships, future professionals have clear routes into the industry and are being equipped with the creative, logistical, and higher level knowledge and skills necessary to deliver successful events. In addition, through their research, our members are helping us to better understand the role and value of events in society, for businesses, government, and communities."

Read more...

Fast Forward 15 presents University Challenge, a programme initiative that bridges the gap between education and industry. University Challenge is a project based competition, where teams are challenged to host a charity event to raise funds for charities supported by industry fundraising body, Meeting Needs.

How does it work?

The initiative invites teams of three to six students currently enrolled in event management courses, as part of AEME (Association for Events Management Education). 

• Teams will submit their event proposals by 24th January 2025, which will then be reviewed. 

• Selected teams will be confirmed by 1st February 2025.

• Selected teams will be partnered with a FF15 mentor, who will assist in guiding them as they carry out their proposal. 

• After they have delivered their event, teams will submit a post-event report by the 14th April, which will be judged by the FF15 panel. 

• The winner will be announced on 24th April 2025.

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The link for entries is now open at the following link, which contains further information.

We are delighted to announce a ‘Call for Papers’ for the AEME Forum 2025.

The AEME Forum 2025 is being hosted at Chester Business School from the 1st – 3rd July 2025, with the main theme focussing on ‘Events in the digital landscape’.

Sub-themes may incorporate but not limited to:

• The evolving digital event landscape

• Virtual Events

• Hybrid Events

• AR/VR and Events

• AI and Events

• Sustainability in digital events

• Inclusivity in digital events

• Events & technology 

• We would also welcome papers on broader events related topics: event experiences, event design, event planning & processes, event destinations, event impacts, event safety, event marketing, etc.

• We also welcome submissions from other related fields, such as Tourism and Hospitality.

The extended deadline for abstracts is this Friday 16th May 2025 and the call for papers for the AEME 2025 Forum remains open until the deadline. More

AEME Exec are pleased to welcome expressions of interest from AEME members to host the AEME forums in 2027 and 2028.

Further details can be found in the Call for Expressions of Interest and Service Level Agreement distributed to members. Please do not hesitate to contact Dr Jenny Flinn if you have any questions or require further information.

We appreciate that everyone is busy with teaching, marking and moderation at the moment and will hopefully be looking forward to a break over Christmas, so please note that the deadline for expressions of interest is not until 28th February 2025.

Please remember that next year's Forum is due to take place at the University of Chester from 1st-3rd July 2025. Further details including the call for papers can be found at, https://www.aeme.org/aeme-2025

​AEME is delighted to announce the winners of the AEME Student Awards 2024.

For further information, click here.

July 2024
 

We are very pleased to announce our new Executive Committee for 2024-27, as confirmed at the AGM on 4th July at Sheffield Hallam University:

Daniel Baxter

Adrian Bossey

Tim Brown

Glenn Bowdin

Mandy Curtis

Jenny Flinn

Jo Goodey

Mary Beth Gouthro

Jonathan Sibley

Jane Tattersall

Fotios Vasileiou

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Following a nomination process, the following Executive Committee members take up Honorary Officer positions:

Chair – Adrian Bossey

Vice Chair – Jenny Flinn

Treasurer – Glenn Bowdin

Secretary – Mandy Curtis

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Huge thanks to everyone who has served on the Exec over the last three years and in particular, Karen Davies and Dee Clayton for their contributions.

The AEME Forum 2025 will be hosted by the University of Chester from 1-3 July 2025. The theme of the conference will be Events in the Digital Landscape, a call for papers will be sent out in October.

The Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE), the Council for Hospitality Management (CHME), and the Association for Events Management Education (AEME) have come together to address the concerning implications of potential changes to government policy regarding the graduate visa route. This joint effort aims to shed light on the critical role that international students and graduates play in the education of industry leaders worldwide, as well as the strategic development of industries through postgraduate education and research.
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In response to a statement made in Parliament on December 4, 2023, the government has tasked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) with conducting a rapid review of the Graduate route. This review, expected to report its findings today, has sparked concerns within THE industries about the potential repercussions on the economy, recruitment, and the already-existing skills shortage. Currently 85% of students studying THE postgraduate programmes are international students.
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Despite facing significant challenges in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, THE industries remain vital contributors to the UK economy. In 2022 alone, the travel and tourism industry contributed £237.1 billion to the UK's Gross Domestic Product, with the events industry estimated at £70 billion, and the hospitality industry at over £93 billion in direct Gross Value Added (GVA). Moreover, these industries collectively provide millions of jobs, making them essential pillars of the UK workforce.
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Please read the press release for further information.
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Read more ...

The 20th AEME Events Management Educators Forum will be
hosted by Sheffield Hallam University from 2nd to 4th July 2024.
 
Please visit the Forum website for full details of our celebratory 20th Anniversary event and to book.
 

The white paper, published today, sets out the implications of shifting government policy which risks affecting economy, recruitment and adding to skills shortage.

A White Paper jointly commissioned by the Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE), the Council for Hospitality Management (CHME) and the Association for Events Management Education (AEME) has been launched in the UK today. It reports on the future of Tourism, Hospitality and Events (THE) Management education in the United Kingdom (UK), in the context of increased stakeholder pressure and shifting government policy. It outlines implications on the Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) sectors, at various levels, including funding, enrolment, progression pathways, and graduate outcomes.

Please read the press release for further information.

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AEME Sustainability SIG arranged a successful academic panel at Green Event Innovations 16 (GEI16) with A Greener Future at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London on 27th February 2024. The 1-hour panel considered ‘Supporting sustainable employability skills for current and future generations of festival and event managers’. GE16 was completely sold out, so our panel was very busy. It was chaired by Adrian Bossey and featured panel members Andrew Lansley, from the University of Gloucester, Dimitri Lera from University of Essex and Dr Jane Lovell from Canterbury Christ Church University.

Read more ...

​AEME is delighted to announce the winners of the AEME Student Awards 2023.

For further information, click here.

November 2023
 

DEADLINE EXTENDED: 22 March 2024
 
We invite conceptual or empirical papers on the conference theme, and particularly encourage work that reflects upon the last 20 years of events education or looks forward to the next 20 years.  The aim of the forum is to encourage open discussions about the evolution of events higher education and how we can respond to the changing environment and needs of events education and the industry.   
 
We therefore welcome papers that reflect on the development of events education or consider the future of events and events education, and how to shape the next 20 years.  
 
Events education is a wide and diverse discipline, and our forum will reflect that. So, we invite colleagues from events, or other fields, to contribute conceptual or research-based papers on a range of topics related to events education and events management. 
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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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AEME’s Special Interest Group Research Fund aims to promote the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to focus on specific areas of interest in the field of Events Management.   The fund is designed to support the undertaking of high-quality research and educational activities related to the scope and aims of AEME.  Proposals were invited from AEME colleagues as part of their institutional membership with AEME. The projects for 2023-4 are outlined on the page below.

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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.

In this reflection, Glenn highlights some of the opportunities and challenges raised.

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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.

Find out more ...

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

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.

Find out more ...

Glenn Bowdin, Treasurer and Executive Committee Member of AEME, has been appointed as a Vice Chair and Treasurer of UKEVENTS.
 
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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). 
 
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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 
 
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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.
 
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​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.

For further information, click here.

28 July 2022
 

​AEME is delighted to announce the winners of the AEME Student Awards 2022.

For further information, click here.

July 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.

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...

#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 is delighted to announce the winners of the AEME Student Awards 2021. Read more ....

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...