Experiential Learning in Event Management Education: Do Industry Placements in Degree Courses Complement Jobs Available in the Events Industry?

Faced with the emergence of event management education in Australia, the increasing number of graduates applying for event industry jobs and their often high expectations of the industry (Grafton 2004), it is vitally important that students in these courses gain practical experience of the industry in the form of experiental learning. Drawing on the case of one university, Victoria University, which offers a range of event management degrees, this paper adopts an extended analysis to examine the trends in work integrated learning (WIL) opportunities over a two and a half year period. It identifies these opportunities by role, industry sector and length of employment (short or long term). The paper takes the further step of comparing this data to current job opportunities in the events industry in order to assess whether experiental learning opportunities made available to students are indicative of the type of industry work they may choose to undertake upon the completion of their degrees. Discrepancies between the two areas are discussed with implications for the design and content of event management degrees, specifically the experiental learning componen