CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN THE EVENTS INDUSTRY - 2025/6

Module Overview

The purpose of this module is to widen the students' appreciation of the diverse and dynamic event industry, to provide a framework of knowledge and understanding concerning the key dimensions in the industry nationally and internationally. This module provides a fuller picture of the diversity within the industry, critically examines the similarities and differences among the various dimensions, and equips students to critically understand the specific features, contexts, considerations and challenges in the industry.

Furthermore, this module aims to develop and update students' knowledge and understanding of the significant issues, challenges and opportunities faced in a complex and rapidly changing world, as well as the impact it makes nationally and internationally. This module will critically explore a wide variety of contemporary issues in the event industry, such as the political, economic, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions of a range of events within different global contexts, which may be the focus of academics, prominent news and industry issues or issues raised by students as a result of their experience and/or readings.

Module provider

Surrey Hospitality & Tourism Management

Module Leader

LI Yanning (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:

• Event impacts and legacy (economic, social, political, technological, legal, environmental, and cultural)


• Human rights and major events


• Environmental and social sustainability


• Diversity, equality and inclusion


• Event workforce and gig economy


• Evaluating events


• Event ethics


• Technology in events


• Professional development in event industry

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

In place of the group presentation students are asked to complete an individual video

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their critical understanding of the trends and contemporary issues in the event industry and creative think forward solutions, research skills, teamwork skills, communication skills, employability and professionalism.

 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• A group presentation 


• An individual portfolio

 

Formative assessment

Formative assessment will be conducted through the students’ contributions to team activities and in-class exercises throughout the module.

 

Feedback

Formative assessment and feedback will be as part of the individual and group tasks carried out within the teaching session. Feedback will involve both the teaching staff and peer to peer feedback.  In addition, post-assessment feedback and support will be provided after the first assignment to help students understand their own performance and the areas for improvement, and how to improve for the second assignment. Furthermore, a post-assessment Self-reflection and Action Plan will be provided for students to use in order to gain further understandings on ways for enhancement in their following assignments.

Module aims

• Enable students to develop a critical appreciation of the scale, scope, environment, and impacts of the international events industry
• Enable students to develop an understanding of, and be able to critically analyse, the political, economic, sociocultural, and environmental dimensions of a range of events in different global contexts
• Enable students to develop up-to-date knowledge of the trends and contemporary issues within the international events industry, and equip them with strategic, forward thinking, creative, and problem-solving skills and lens to manage those issues

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to: enable students to develop a critical appreciation of the scale, scope, environment, and impacts of the international events industry; enable students to develop an understanding of, and be able to critically analyse, the political, economic, sociocultural, and environmental dimensions of a range of events in different global contexts; enable students to develop up-to-date knowledge of the trends and contemporary issues within the international events industry, and equip them with strategic, forward thinking, creative, and problem-solving skills and lens to manage those issues.

The learning and teaching strategy is also designed to assist in the developments of student’s analysis skills, critical thinking, research skills and the ability to justify arguments and statements with evidence-based materials. Furthermore, the learning and teaching strategy is designed to develop students’ cultural awareness, digital literacy, confidence and competence in working with others, leadership, communication skills, employability and professionalism.

 

To achieve the above, the following learning and teaching methods will be used: lectures, tutorials, seminars, guided learning, independent learning, and self-reflection. Specifically, the lectures intend to introduce theories with support materials and reinforcement covering the topics in the above. In seminars, students will undertake interactive exercises such as group discussions and presentations in order to demonstrate the application of theory, team-working, professionalism, confidence and communication skills. In tutorials, students will be asked critical questions on their work in progress, justifying arguments and critical reflections of their own thinkings will be developed. Formative feedback will be provided to students during these interactive sessions. It is expected that students will conduct wide readings, work with peers on the development of the group presentation, individual research, and reflective review in their independent learning.

The learning and teaching strategy and methods will be reflected the following approaches:

Group/team working: articulating expectations of student contribution in terms of encouraging mutually supportive learning environments, developing confidence through collaboration, respectful communication (negotiating aims, supporting group members, recognising diversity), and adapting to changing circumstances (ability to maintain a positive mindset, adaptable to changing circumstances). Encourage reflective learning from group dynamics (i.e., roles undertaken, group cohesion and co-operative approaches) and being reflexive about individual contribution to demonstrate learner development of these attributes.

Critical and evaluative approaches: drawing out the expectations of being ‘critical’ and ‘evaluate’ connected to effective problem solving and decision making, e.g., awareness of confirmation/cognitive bias when engaging with relevant literature, openness to other viewpoints, willingness to change own perspective and recognise how conflicting evidence can be used to substantiate a position.

Engagement with literature: to develop an informed subject knowledge base to underpin innovation, decision making, taking risks, problem solving. Articulate expectations of engagement with the literature for confidence building through an understanding of key issues to hold a rational/balanced/reasoned point of view and be able to articulate this in discussions/debates. Make informed judgments through an understanding of current industry issues e.g., sustainability, global concepts, digital innovation.

Feedback literacy: exploring the development of a positive mindset to manage emotional engagement in feedback recipience. This could be articulated in guidance for feedback dialogue and discussion; closing feedback loops, etc.. Encouraging mutually supportive peer feedback/evaluations (c.f. group work), developing empathic communication skills to support confidence building and learner agency in their development.

 

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: MANM570

Other information

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

Digital Capabilities: Learning to navigate the VLE, SurreyLearn, is an essential part of this MSc module. Teaching and learning materials are provided in a number of formats, and students are encouraged to use discussion boards and Padlet for communication. Students are encouraged to communicate with one another for preparation of their group presentations using WhatsApp, Teams, and shared documents. Specific teaching on conducting literature searches and using multi-media software is included in this module. These are key skills that are increasingly important to the modern event management workplaces, working in a variety of settings and teams. This also allows greater breadth of opportunities to communicate and work in various areas of the event industry globally. As with all modules, students are expected to engage with online material and resources via SurreyLearn, and other digital platforms.

Employability: This module provides students with a working knowledge of key issues in event practice locally and globally. The real-life industry live brief assessment equips students first-hand experience working on an industry project. The module continues to build on ability to collect, analyse, present, and critically evaluate data and findings that are a key transferable skill sought by employers in addition to team working, leadership and communication skills developed in this module.

Global and cultural capabilities: The module is based on a global perspective, centred on international event practices and globally shared challenges the event industry faces. The key issues of the event industry including application of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the gig economy are equally relevant nationally and internationally. Students develop an understanding of various event impacts such as environmental and social sustainability worldwide. Factors influencing event management practices are explored, promoting an awareness of the diversity of lived experience and culture affecting these. Invited speakers contribute to a diverse global perspective. Students are encouraged to share experiences and knowledge from their own cultures and backgrounds, and to respect and value differences in experience, which will as a result, develop their cultural awareness/ capabilities.

Sustainability: This module contains two key contents: environmental sustainability practices in events and impacts of events on social sustainability in a global context. These will allow students to think critically about the role and power of events in the two important sustainability dimensions. This module aims at advancing students’ understanding, awareness, and creative solutions to deal with key agenda on these specific sustainability areas.

Resourcefulness and resilience: The approach of this module is one where students are experiencing the methods of assessment directed by real live industry brief. As a cohort, all students will experience this together, sharing experiences, providing support and empathy, and supporting each other practically. Through the practical elements and the assessments students are able to draw upon and develop their own resourcefulness and problem solving and building their own confidence and self-efficacy. They will also develop an appreciation of barriers and challenges event professionals face because of working on a real industry case, and how these may be overcome, through an appreciation of their personal experiences, and the shared experiences of the collective cohort.

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 2025/6 academic year.