EUROPEAN FIELD TRIP - 2023/4

Module Overview

This module examines large public events in situ. It involves taking students around an events space and examining it in detail over a number of days. This field experience of a live events space allows the student to experience different events and their distinct spaces; to compare and contrast events cross-culturally; to develop a detailed understanding of the strategies and operations that intersect with the city and the public space; how event organisers, stakeholders, managers and city authorities attempt to broker the relationship between events, urban environments, public spaces, communities and the strategic ambitions of the city. How is the event established, leveraged, made impactful, socially inclusive, sustainable, a mechanism for peace-building. And, crucially, what are the problems, obstacles and objections in place thwarting the development of eventful spaces.

Module provider

Surrey Hospitality & Tourism Management

Module Leader

SKINNER Jonathan (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): 30

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative module content features the following topics:

• Urban events and their spaces


• Regional development


• Urban governance


• Community consultation


• Event case studies


• Social and economic impact evaluation


• Strategic management frameworks


• Inclusive and sustainable development


• Visual and observational events research methods

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

For the Group Presentation, students unable to complete will be required to submit written report (2000 words)

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate analytical and transferable skills developed from real event scenarios. This applied real world study complements classroom based international event management study, and live events student projects. It develops Employability with a career-ready skillset stressing Digital capabilities and works with the principle of Education for Sustainable Development (especially Civic Engagement). It will achieve the Learning Outcomes stated above through the assessment strategy.

Thus the Summative Assessments comprise of:

• Assessment 1: A group presentation of a critical analysis of the relationship between urban events, communities, managers and local authorities. Utilising a range of observational and secondary data sets (LO: 1, 3, 4).


• Assessment 2: An individual video pitch suggesting a series of ideas for utilising urban environments and public spaces to advance an urban events strategy for achieving local social and economic objectives (LO: 1, 2, 3).

Formative assessment and Feedback:

This will consist of feedback developed through workshop mentoring, group discussion, small classroom assignments and activities and preparation for the two summative assessments.

• Assignment 1: Students will receive verbal feedback form tutors immediately after their presentation. They will also receive a feedback sheet giving further details and their grade.


• Assignment 2: Students will receive feedback via Surrey Learn this may be in written and/or audio format.

Feedback will be oral as well as text based in the field following the presentations; during and at the end of classroom activities and via Turnitin.

Module aims

• Explore the relationship between events, urban environments and public spaces.
• Critically analyse how urban events have a social and economic impact on local communities.
• Examine how event managers and policy makers attempt to mitigate the challenges associated with urban events.
• Understand how urban events play a critical role in achieving city event strategies to achieve social and economic objectives.
• Every year, expose students to a specific city through a field trip to empirically investigate these module aims and develop visual and observational research skills.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Increase your critical understanding of the complex relationship between events, urban environments and public spaces


• Increase your ability to pitch a series of ideas for utilising urban environments and public spaces to advance an urban events strategy for achieving local social and economic objectives


• Increase your knowledge of strategic management frameworks to understand the role of urban events for achieving city event strategies to achieve social and economic objectives Increase your ability to empirically investigate Learning Outcomes 1-3 in a real-life city context and utilise visual and observational research skills to achieve this.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Pre-fieldtrip, you will receive 4 sessions on contextualisation, theorisation, familiarisation, preparation. You will receive readings and links to secondary data as preparation for the case study as well as hosted on demand content on Surrey Learn.


• The fieldtrip will involve research days and up to 3 nights in the city location and will include observational work, guest speakers, analysis of urban organisations and environments, independent research time, and group presentation preparation time.


• Group presentations will take place before the end of the fieldtrip.


• The next teaching week following the fieldtrip, there will be a debrief session on the experience and first assessment. This will be followed by a critical evaluation session with guidance and preparation for the second assessment. Pre-submission, an in-person clinic will be run to support students in their second assessment.

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: MAN2207

Other information

There will be an additional cost to students who select this module. For more details speak to the module leader.

This module adopts the university curriculum framework which aims to develop you with strong capabilities in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module contributes to the development of the following capabilities:

Employability: The application of knowledge drawn from various aspects of your programme that is required to successfully complete the project associated with this module develops important skills for employability, including the ability to evaluate information and develop strong recommendations for practice.

Digital Capabilities: In this module you will access a variety of information using digital platforms and may also use digital methods to analyse data.

Global and Cultural Capabilities: During this module you will investigate intercultural relationships within businesses . As such, you will develop an understanding of the different priorities and needs of different groups.

Sustainability: You will gain key insight regarding sustainable practices within the hospitality industry and their impacts as a result of completing your assignment. This may include both environmental impacts, social impacts and financial impacts of the business on the surrounding area.

Resourcefulness and Resilience: In collecting, analysing and reporting information you will need to be resourceful and resilient. Situations surrounding data collection are often unpredictable and you will need to develop skills that enable you to adapt to the situation and develop alternative approaches if initial approaches are not successful.

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 2023/4 academic year.