EVENT DESIGN AND PRODUCTION - 2020/1

Module Overview

Design is an integral element of the entire event production process and is critical to the success of events.  Design is used to create exciting environments and settings for events and high quality design not only influences audiences’ behaviour but also augments their experience of the event.  In an increasingly competitive event industry environment, creativity in event design can provide a unique selling point for event businesses and can facilitate competitive advantage, event design is also a key element in operational safety considerations and design and layout are increasingly subjected to scrutiny by venue management and regulatory bodies alike..  Therefore this module seeks to enable students to develop an understanding of creativity and design principles and practices and to introduce student to a range of event production resources and practices and documentation.  Students will be equipped with the knowledge and understanding of the resources required for the production of event design and the associated risks and documentation. 

Module provider

Hospitality, Tourism & Events Management

Module Leader

GRAINGER-JONES Owen (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Role and importance of event design


• Factors influencing event design


• Creativity in design


• Influence and impacts of design on audiences


• Principles and practices of event design – including quality,  theme and programme design,; scripting, staging and production and operations management  


• Resources required for event design and production – including psychical, human, technolical and financial resources


• Risks associated with event design and risk assesment


• Designing for hospitality and service level factors within the staging of events

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

CW2 Event Concept and Feasibility Presentation = Reassessment work will be to individually present on an aspect of the event pitch, the area of focus or topic may be a new element that has not previously been covered in the presentation and will be determined by the module teaching staff. CW3 Industry Report = Reassessment work will be to submit an individual report that covers the key areas of the group work report but with a reduced range of topics and word count. The structure and topics to be coved will be determined by module teaching staff.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate applying and further developing knowledge and skills in event design and production.  The assessments will evaluate students’ knowledge and critical understanding of the role and importance of event design, the influence of design on audience experiences of events, the application of event design principles and practices and the resources required for, and risks associated with event design.  In addition, students’ ability to interpret academic and other secondary sources of information, to apply theory to practice, to present their findings in a professional manner and to critically reflect on their experiences will be assessed. 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• An individual report – 40% - students will be required to evaluate  an event and to write a  report critically analysing the role of creative design in this event as well as the way in which the design and production elements have been used to enhance the audience or visitors’ experience. (1,000 words) Hand in date: Week 5


• An Event concept and feasibility presentation – 40% - students will work together in teams to develop a proposal for a creative event .  Students are expected to also evaluate the resources and risks associated with the production of their proposed event; this is to include psychical, human, technological, financial resources and risks .  This event concept will then be pitched to an audience in a presentation lasting up to 20 minutes (40%). 

Hand in date: Week 9, presentations: Weeks 9 and 10

• A group report – 20% - Students will work together on the development of an event feasibility and operational plan which is to be submitted in an industry type format. (2,000 words).

Hand in Date: Week 12

Formative assessment and feedback will also be provided to students through a range of approaches, including question and answer sessions in class, discussions using Surreylearn and class presentations.

Module aims

• the role and importance of design in the event production process
• the impact of design on audience experiences
• the principles and practices of event design
• the resources and risks associated with event design
• key event management documents ie risk assesment and event management plans

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to provide a framework and context for the application of existing knowledge and theories. This framework will then be explored and developed through examples and case studies particularly in introducing the latest thinking, issues and methods of event design and production.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures (2 x 9 weeks)


• Seminars (1 x 9 weeks)


• Examples and case studies (8 weeks)


• Presentations (3 x 2 weeks)


• Field trips and guest lecturers (2 x 2 weeks)


• Guided reading (1 x  9 weeks)

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: MANM312

Programmes this module appears in

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.