Students to work with top corporate events agency
Date: 9 September 2013
Will Bicknell, Commercial Director and Founder of Chillisauce, shares his vast experience with students
Events Management students at London Metropolitan University are set to continue working with one of the leading agencies in the sector thanks to a partnership aimed at boosting their employability.
The Events Management course, based in London Metropolitan Business School, has worked with corporate events company Chillisauce for three years, offering students the chance to gain real world experience in preparation for their future careers.
Chillisauce have organised corporate events for major blue chip clients such as Deloitte & Touche, Coca Cola, Barclays and Price Waterhouse Coopers.
Now, London Met and Chillisauce have announced that the partnership will continue for another year due to the invaluable benefits it brings to its career-focused students.
Real life experience
“The project sees students work in groups and act as the Chillisauce corporate events department, planning an experiential or launch event throughout the term”, explained Michael Chidzey, Head of Digital Marketing & PR at Chillisauce.
“Employees from the corporate team, marketing department and Chillisauce directors visit London Met and lecture throughout the term on either event planning, marketing or business.”
The students then do a final pitch to a panel of industry professionals.
Blue chip director impressed
Michael, who is himself an alumni of London Metropolitan University, said: “I’m excited about next year’s project and glad to be working for a company that wants to help make the event management course at London Met one of the best in the country.
“I’ve been involved in the partnership from the beginning, and every year it gets better. The final pitches are always the best part because we see the students putting everything they’ve learnt into practise and the guest judges are always impressed.
“One of the judges, the director of an actual Chillisauce blue chip client, told us that some of the students’ pitches were better than most professional pitches they had seen.”
Business ready graduates
The partnership is paying dividends for the students, who are among the most business ready graduates in the capital thanks to the course.
“Some of the best employees we’ve had at Chillisauce originally studied at London Met, so giving students access to heads of departments at Chillisauce early on will offer them an opportunity to stand out against everybody else,” added Michael.
“I would advise past students to get involved whenever they can because the lecturers at London Met are very accommodating to external involvement.”
Innovative teaching
The project came about when Nicole Ferdinand, author of Events Management: An International Approach, pioneered the partnership whilst at London Metropolitan Business School. Senior lecturer Henrik Linden then continued to develop the relationship, working closely with senior staff from the agency and helping students to make the most of the business insights available.
Henrik said: “This is an exciting partnership that gives our students the chance to show their abilities first-hand to successful and established events industry professionals. It is of great value to our students that Michael Chidzey and his colleagues are so generous with their time, industry knowledge and business insights.”
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