Abstract
Events management courses at university level have gained in popularity and subsequent enrolments in the last decade, largely due to the phenomenal growth in the global events industry. The aim of the current research is to better understand the expectations, attitudes and perceptions that students have towards their event management courses. In undertaking the research, students at two universities were surveyed: Victoria University (VU) in Melbourne and Southern Cross University (SCU) Tweed Heads Campus. Questions were aimed at establishing student profile, motivational factors driving course choice and skills important for working in the events industry. The results indicate that when choosing a course in event management, students at both universities had clear ideas about course expectations and how their degrees could be instrumental in teaching skills and knowledge needed for working in the events industry. Most students surveyed already had a strong interest in events and associated industries, and those who did not found that the event management subjects they studied helped to pique their interest in the area. Communication and management skills were seen as the most important skills needed to work in the industry. Given the emerging nature of research on event management education, the findings offered by this paper on the motivations and perceptions of event management students regarding their future career sector of choice, should be considered tentative towards an agenda for future study.