IMAGINEERING EVENTS THEMES AND EXPERIENCES - 2020/1

Module code: MAN2140

Module Overview

The growth of the experience economy and its relevance to events has led to a need for a greater understanding of the experiences people get from attending events.  This module explores how events engage the senses and enhance experiences leading to emotive changes.

Drawing upon experience ideas (imagineering)  and frameworks (experience realms) students will, through experiential study and visit (s) to events,  analyse event settings and environments and explore the impact these have on attendees This can include amongst other things lighting, decor, furniture, sound, smell, size & shape, it can also include the products or commodities we may use during the experience (clothes, equipment). It can also embrace social and cultural values that have been placed upon the particular experience, or psychological ideas about the perception we may have of an experience. The module will enable students to prepare their initial concept for staging a live event in semester 2.

Module provider

Hospitality, Tourism & Events Management

Module Leader

BERRIDGE Graham (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Overall student workload

Independent Learning Hours: 117

Lecture Hours: 22

Seminar Hours: 11

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

MAN1095 (Event Design and Creativity) is a pre-requisite for this module

Module content

Indicative content includes:


  • Events and the Experience Industry

  • Exploring the Experience Economy

  • Understanding Experience Models and Frameworks

  • Conceptualising Experiences

  • Conducting Sensory Analysis:The measuring of the event experience

  • Nature of individual and collective festival and event experiences and the emotional and symbolic meanings

  • Exploring the Eventscape

  • The transformative effects of events

  • Developing Event Bidding and Pitching

  • Analysing Event Interaction and Experience

  • Exploring the use of Themes


Assessment pattern

Assessment type Unit of assessment Weighting
Oral exam or presentation Individual video presentation (5mins) 40
Coursework Group Report (4,000) 60

Alternative Assessment

For the Group Report students will individually improve the first attempt based on feedback and guidance for improvement of the first version.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate a detailed and accurate understanding of theory, models and frameworks of experience and use them to conduct applied research on an event experience.

The assessment strategy is designed to allow students to demonstrate that they have achieved the module learning outcomes.

Assignment 1: A short (5 minutes) individual film that sets out a research idea and includes a draft data collection instrument.

Assignment 2: A Group Report (4000 words) which comprises
a. A write up of the group's research into an event experience (2,500 words)
b. An event management plan that takes several 'high concepts' for experiences, assesses their feasibility, selects the best option and sets out a plan for how it will be delivered. 

Formative feedback

Students receive feedback throughout the semester via face to face teaching which will support them to complete the assessments.

Module aims

  • To understand the meaning of experience
  • To apply concepts and theories towards the visualisation, perception and analysis of event experience environments
  • To use group idea-generation technique to question the way things are, and seek to provide ‘perfect' experience solutions

Learning outcomes

Attributes Developed
1 Use theoretical models to understand and analyse the experiential nature of event environments KCT
2 Assess the range of factors controlling the experience environment CP

Attributes Developed

C - Cognitive/analytical

K - Subject knowledge

T - Transferable skills

P - Professional/Practical skills

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to:


  • Increase students understanding of the nature of experience 

  • Increase students ability to analyse event experiences 

  • Increase students ability to synthesise material  

  • Increase students confidence in presenting their ideas

  • Increase students ability to work independently and in groups



The teaching and learning methods include:


  • Interactive lectures with support material and reinforcement (lectures in 3 hour blocks weekly)



Experiential site visits


  • Group work

  • Formative feedback sessions –this will be provided through group work and presentations in class where students will also be asked to critically comment on each other’s performance.

  • Case studies

  • Guest lectures to provide links between theory and practice


Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN2140

Programmes this module appears in

Programme Semester Classification Qualifying conditions
International Event Management BSc (Hons) 1 Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.