Between Project Management and Experience Design: Event Industry and Event Education in Germany—Selected Findings From a Research Project of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hannover in Cooperation With the German Trade Fair Association

Abstract

Although the German event industry is, undisputedly, rising in growth and significance, there are still a number of questions that remain open, such as the providers, number, and quality of event education and training. Therefore, the aim of the research project presented here was to address these issues and to gain an overview of the event education system in Germany by analyzing stakeholders of the event industry, the structure of event education, job experiences by young professionals, and experts' opinions on the German event education market. For this reason, a qualitative approach was taken, using mixed methods including 39 semistructured personal interviews and an online survey with 165 participants as well as an explorative research design. As a result, 70 event management programs at private or state universities or universities of applied sciences in Germany were identified. Results of online survey and interviews with experts and alumni strongly support the idea of close collaboration between the event industry and event education. Quality management, event law, and creativity turn out as the most popular areas in German event education in 2016. Although research on the structure of the event industry has shown that there are tendencies of fragmentation, it would be all the more advisable for stakeholders to join forces in common efforts to research event education further. One focal point of further discussion could be to define core competencies of event education and apply them to the different sectors and programs of event education in Germany and other countries.