Industry Talks: Where Do Event Managers Find Their Inspiration? Event managers are often in need of inspiration. Whether for an event concept or a particular problem needing to be solved, inspiration can be the difference between an ordinary or an extraordinary result. We asked some of our (extraordinary) industry mates, where do event managers find their inspiration? Here’s what they had to say… Emma Walker Founder, She Went Wild I find inspiration everywhere! I try and go to as many different types of events as I can, even if it’s not related to my industry. Whether it’s something going on a ..read more

Industry Talks: 6 Industry Pros Share their ‘Starting Out’ Stories We have a whole bunch of guest lecturers from industry imparting the knowledge and experience directly to our students. They come from different backgrounds, different event management companies in different sectors. But they all have one thing in common… they love working in events! And no question time is complete without at least one student asking, ‘So, how did you get to where you are now?’ Inevitably they all have all had varied and interesting event career trajectories. We thought it might be fun to share a few here… Bel ..read more

Someone somewhere brilliantly decided to extend their table at lunch to accommodate more than 8 people – and an event trend was born! The Long Table Lunch idea is one that has become a guaranteed feature at any food and wine festival. Or for that matter, any community food event as well. It’s a great way to bring a large group of people together relatively easily, and can be brought to that next level by an amazing location and some top notch table styling. A long table lunch is also a highly Instagram-able and Pinterest-able affair, a big plus for any event! Enjoy reading about this week’s Tu ..read more

5 Reasons to ‘Up’ Your Event Skills Right Now It’s no doubt that events people are great at learning on the job, it’s definitely part of an event manager’s job description! But with the increase in short courses and digital credentials it’s now easier and more beneficial than ever to add tangible and recordable skills to your resume. As our learning partners Open Learning like to say: ‘True lifelong learning is the new norm for the way we live, work and learn in a rapidly unfolding era of change.’ With that in mind, here are 5 reasons to ‘up’ your event skills right now. #1 Increase your value ..read more

College Connections – our TOP 8 Here at CoEM we’re ever keen to forge meaningful and professional connections between our students and the best event companies in the industry. For higher employability, students need loads of practical ‘on the job’ experience. On the other side, our industry needs keen event management students to help run their events. When the two come together, it’s a WIN/WIN! So who are these college connections? They’re some of the biggest and best in the business. And over the years have become educators, colleagues and employers for CoEM graduates. Read on to meet our T ..read more

12 x Student Testimonials from the ‘Comments’ Book We recently found a few of our student ‘comment’ books that had been safely tucked away in a cupboard. We ended up poring over the pages, reading the hand-written entries and reminiscing about past students and their college experiences. Happily, we discovered many positive and enthusiastic comments from students who had completed their event management course and had taken the time to reflect on their time at the college before going off into the wide, world of events. Seeing testimonials such as these gives us a lot of satisfaction because w ..read more

What do you think of when you hear the term ‘online learning’? Do you automatically jump to the conclusion that it’s lonely, unsupported and inferior to face-to-face learning? Well, think again and expect the unexpected. Developments in technology have made online learning a really viable and satisfying study option for those who need or want something other than face-to-face learning. Maybe you’re too far from your favoured campus. Maybe your family or work responsibilities don’t allow much flexibility for study. Whatever the reason it’s a valid one. And the great thing is, you can have an on ..read more

Making Waves in Surfing Events – Meet Holly As she kept being called away to work on surfing events, both in and out of Australia, Holly took a little while longer than most to complete her event qualification. But now that’s she’s finished Holly’s making waves in the surfing events world. As part of my course, I started out volunteering at the Sally Fitzgibbons women’s surf event in Cronulla with the Surfing NSW crew. That experience led me to meet a member of the World Surf League. WSL then sent me all around Australia working on the big Champion Tour events. Since then I I’ve flown to the U ..read more

8 Reasons Why Events are so Important People decide to join the events industry for many reasons; avid festival goers may aspire to be a more integral part of the festival vision. The organisation of the annual Chrissy party may be one of the highlights in an administrative role. Perhaps a bride has experienced a particular buzz from organising her wedding. Or someone working on the floor in a venue has ambitions to move sideways into an event role. There are many positive experiences that can spark the idea of a career move into events. That realisation is often the motivation to act. If you ..read more

Tess Bosveld – Standing out in Busselton, WA Tess Bosveld has always “loved organisation and seeing things come together for a bigger purpose.” She felt that there was no better way to turn that love into a career than to take the steps to move towards a career in event management. Easy. The one tiny little thing standing in her way was… the Nullarbor Plain. Yes, Tess comes from Busselton in WA, a quiet little coastal town on the southern tip of WA. A gorgeous place famous for its jetty and it’s whale watching but a world away from her chosen course on Australia’s east coast. I was on my gap y ..read more