Program Overview

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Weddings, festivals, parties, conferences – hospitality events are big business. With a degree from the Edge Hotel School at Essex you’ll be right in the thick of it - gaining live experience while you study for a two-year accelerated degree. With a student experience unlike any other, it may come as no surprise that the Edge Hotel School is ranked 4th for student satisfaction and 7th in the UK for Tourism, Transport and Travel (Complete University Guide, 2023). The BA Events Management with Hospitality is only available to students who do not require a VISA to study in the UK. Our three-year BA Events Management has very similar course content, but is structured differently to allow applications from prospective students with any fee status or visa requirements. Our Events Management with Hospitality degree prepares you for an exciting career in hospitality events management. You will develop your industry knowledge and professional skills by working within Wivenhoe House , a 4* country house hotel, alongside your studies. You will gain experience in the different departments of the hotel including the kitchen, front office, restaurant as well as an extended period of time in the events department. These shifts may involve some late finishes on occasion, as well as weekend work, so that you get to see all aspects of the different events the hotel offers such as weddings, meetings, tribute acts, baby showers, conferences and more. As well as spending time in our 4* Wivenhoe House , some of our high performing Events Management students have in past had the unforgettable opportunity to work at big name events and venues like the BRIT awards, the O2 arena and the Royal Ascot. With around 45 weeks of study per year and up to six weeks of annual holiday you will be able to fast-track your degree and start your career sooner. In your final level you will work on a live events project to put all of the experience and knowledge gained throughout your degree into practice. Throughout the course you will study topics including:

• Event planning and operations
• Budget and resource management
• Marketing and sales
• Entrepreneurship and business strategy

The Edge Hotel School experience is unlike any other student experience. Not only will you graduate from a fantastic university - you will develop your industry knowledge and professional skills by gaining valuable experience within a fully-commercial 4* country house hotel with real guests and customers.

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the Institute of Hospitality that academic, vocational and professional standards achieved are appropriate and programme content and delivery meet international Institute of Hospitality benchmark standards. Why we're great.

• The first hotel school of its kind in the UK based within a real-life hotel
• Accelerated, two-year degree allows you to kick start your career sooner.
• Outstanding preparation for employment through innovative combination of professional experience and academic learning

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Placement year

Students that wish to broaden their experience in different types of events will also be given the option to swap a rotation in our Events and Conference team for an external work experience during Level 5 of the course. This experience will last 4 weeks, and needs to be instigated by you. The Placement team at the University of Essex and staff of the Edge Hotel School will assist you in sourcing opportunities as well as improving your interview and CV-writing skills. This external work experience will be assessed in the same as your rotations in Wivenhoe House hotel and is a chance for you to experience a broad set of events that you might wish to pursue within your career.

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Our expert staff

Our staff includes lecturers with both professional as well as academic backgrounds to ensure you are taught by people with industry-relevant experience themselves. Among our academic staff are a former organiser of the BRIT Awards, London Fashion Week and events for Her Majesty The Queen, a former hotel General Manager, a former Food and Beverage Manager for award-winning cruise lines and a Dr. (PhD) with international research experience.

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Specialist facilities

• Wivenhoe House , where you will gain experience, is a 40-bedroom country house hotel on the university campus with a brasserie restaurant and a busy conference and events function that hosts over 300 events and 50 weddings annually. If for any reason the hotel is subject to closures during rotations, we have developed a comprehensive platform of online skills and experience workshops to replicate the practical experience offer as closely as possible.
• The Edge Hotel School has connections with a range of organisations across the hospitality and events industries – throughout your studies you can expect guest lectures, masterclasses and an annual careers fair to help further your career prospects. Supporters of the Edge Hotel School include:
  • Apex Hotels
  • The Arora Group
  • BaxterStorey
  • Claridges
  • Dorchester Collection
  • Edge Foundation
  • EDITION Hotels
  • Exclusive Hotels and Venues
  • Georgian House Hotel
  • Hand Picked Hotels
  • The Landmark London
  • Levy UK and Ireland
  • Master Innholders
  • Moet Hennessey
  • Milsoms Hotels and Restaurants
  • Oakman Inns
  • Royal Lancaster London
  • the Savoy Educational Trust
  • Sbe
  • St Julians Scholars
  and many others.
• The Edge Hotel Society hosts student-organised events including industry speakers, student social events and an annual ball.
• As an Edge Hotel School student you will be issued with a uniform to wear for your shifts in Wivenhoe House and when representing the School externally. You will need to provide your own white shirts and black shoes.

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Your future

The combination of practical experience and academic learning on our BA (Hons) Events Management with Hospitality gives our students a distinct advantage when starting their careers. The event and hospitality industry are excited by the calibre of our graduates and there are opportunities throughout the course to meet recruitment managers and network. Graduates of the Events Management with Hospitality programme can go onto careers in:

• Events management
• Wedding planning
• Venue management
• Festival planning and management
• Food and beverage management
• Marketing and sales
• Cruise ships and airlines

The events industry is a truly global sector that can give our graduates exciting opportunities to travel the world and experience new cultures, all whilst building essential skills and knowledge for a successful, enjoyable career. "Through guest lectures, careers fairs, business conferences and field trips this course exposed me to highly recognised organisations such as The BRIT Awards and BPI, hoteliers such as Exclusive, Marriott and Hilton and catering companies such as BaxterStorey." Elda Neto De Barros - BA (Hons) Events Management with Hospitality student