EVENTS, TOURISM

& HOSPITALITY
NEWSLETTER MARCH 2020

Welcome to the latest edition of the events, tourism and hospitality newsletter for the School of
Creative and Cultural Business. In this newsletter we report on student and staff activity over the
last year, and celebrate some of the successes and achievements of our community!

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

MAIN EVENT 2020

This month our Year 4 Events Management students will Working in partnership with their selected charity over
be hosting their final year student events as part of their the past six months the students designed a large
honours project. This year the students are working with fundraising event. This year the events will include An
seven charities including Alzheimer’s Scotland, Inspire, Evening at Hogwarts, The Inside “Outside” Street Party,
Dates-N-Mates, Marie Curie, Erskine, Befriend a Child and Hakuna Fermata, Enigma, Fashion through the Decades,
Grampian MS Therapy Centre. Discover the Silver City and Daffy Dreams!
STUDENT VISITS

VISITING THE NEW P&J LIVE

In February the new P&J Live event complex hosted
a visit from all courses and teaching team from the
subject area. Lead by Managing Director Nick Waight
and Head of Event Management Paddy Lynn, just over
100 students and staff enjoyed a behind the scenes look
at the operations which make this new venue such an
exciting addition to tourism within Aberdeenshire. Many
thanks to P&J Live for inviting us – and we look forward
to seeing our students working there in the future!

STUDENTS RETURN TO ST ANDREWS

STREET!
Year 1 Event Management students got the opportunity to
visit the former RGU St Andrews Street Building which is now
the Sandman Signature Hotel as part of their Event Industry
module. Meeting with sales and operational staff students got
to see how a live venue is run, hear from professionals on how
to run live events in a venue and get a tour of the venue.

EXPLORING THE DARKER SIDE OF

As part of their Year 4 Leisure Tourism module our
EVENTS AND TOURISM AT events, tourism and hospitality students visited The
PETERHEAD PRISON… Peterhead Prison Museum. The museum, which closed
as a working prison in 2013, now attracts a significant
number of tourists throughout the year to experience
what life used to be like behind its walls. The students
applied the theory they have learnt about dark and
heritage tourism in the context of the prison, and had
the chance to speak to former guard, Jackie, and
prison manager Alex Geddes.

CRATHES CASTLE TRIP – VISITOR EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT

As part of the Visitor Attraction Management module
the students had an activity day supported by
National Trust for Scotland (NTS) Crathes Castle. This
involved a tour of the castle and Q&A sessions with
NTS managers. This was followed by brainstorming
and pitching ideas for new visitor experiences at the
castle. The students enjoyed getting feedback from
the managers which enabled them to develop the ideas.

At the end of the day the students had some

innovative ideas and the managers gave positive
feedback about how they had enjoyed being involved
and supporting the students.
ATTENDING THE STA AUTUMN CONFERENCE
In October, Anne Singleton together with two Year 4
International Tourism Management and 1 International
Hospitality Management student attended the STA
Autumn Conference 2019 that brought together 430+
business leaders from across the tourism and hospitality
industry at the EICC in Edinburgh.

The students were able to take part in the annual general

meeting, enjoyed being able to take part in a discussion
group and provide useful feedback from the student’s
perspective to the STA.

The conference included a range of speakers providing

an informative and positive perspective for the future of
Tourism in Scotland.

INDUSTRY VISIT TO ARAMARK

As part of the Year 2 International Hospitality
Management Food and Beverage Management module
the students had an industry visit to Aramark, the
contract caterer at the BP North Sea Headquarters.

The visit started with a presentation about the Aramark

company worldwide and then about what is involved
to provide the contract catering for BP. Following a
presentation from the team lead and a Q&A session with
the Account Director and atering Manager there was a
tour of the facilities.

This gave the students insight into the challenges

of contract catering and examples of best practice
provided by Aramark at this particular company.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MSC COHORT!

A big welcome to the new students who joined our MSc
International Tourism & Hospitality Management course
in January. It is great to see students from so many
countries joining us; and really does help make the
course “international” in so many ways. The cohort now
includes students from (deep breath)…

Finland, Greece, Nigeria, Honduras, India, Hungary, Czech

Republic, Lebanon, Palestine; oh and Scotland!

We wish you all the best and everyone in the subject

teaching team look forward to working with you in the
coming months.
 Follow the Aberdeen Student Festival on

ABERDEEN STUDENT FESTIVAL 2020 Facebook @aberdeenstudentfestival or

via Twitter @abstudentfest

Our Year 3 Event Management students have now

started planning for the Aberdeen Student Festival
2020. This year they have been tasked with developing
a festival that fits the remit of ‘Community & Culture’,
and will be fundraising for two local charities – Riding for
the Disabled Aberdeen, and the Aberdeen Art Gallery
Development Trust. The festival will take place between
17th – 19th April so keep an eye open for what is sure to
be a great weekend of events! Students and staff are
invited to find out more about the events through the
festival social media pages.

STUDENT PLACEMENTS – NEW YORK

Hello!

My name is Blair Nisbet and I am currently the Food and Services

manager at Waccabuc Country Club in New York State. As a former
student of Hospitality Management at RGU, I first visited Waccabuc
Country Club through a 6-month internship programme in my third
year at RGU. My current boss Andrew Mckimmie, is the Club House
Manager at the Country Club, and he also is a former student of RGU.

The main reason I took interest in the internship programmes was

due to the fact I learn more in practical situations. I wanted to do
something different in my third year and gain beneficial life
experience in industry.

Through early enjoyment of my placement, I put myself out there to

management and made them aware I was more than happy to help
with any tasks which needed done. Through my placement I covered
the likes of Front of House operations, club maintenance procedures
and office work. By the end of my internship I was offered a full-time
position. I feel that the hard work was rewarded, and it proved you can
never be sure when your calling for future employment may be.

INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT
Jo Robinson, Regional Director joined Dr Andrew Martin Jo updated the group in the VisitScotland progress then
and the Year 4 BA (Hons) Tourism students to inform the engaged the students in a seminar on VisitScotland
Marine and Wildlife class on the VisitScotland Coasts and activity, and gave an insight into the marketing question
Waters 2020 initiative. in the module assignment!
COURSE SHOWCASE My hope for the future, is that no
matter what position I am in, that
INTRODUCING NIAMH AND ANNABEL
I am a trustworthy, positive and
Year 4 students Niamh Richardson and Annabel Rohm innovative leader. I want a team
took time out from working on their Research Projects to follow my instructions, not
to tell us a little about their time on our BA (Hons) because I am their manager but
International Hospitality Management course. because I inspire them to follow
my vision. The dream is that one
What have been some highlights of the day, I am a hotel manager in
course for you? New York City!

Niamh: There are so many reasons why I would

Annabel: I am still unsure of my exact plans for when I
recommend this course to future students. While the
graduate but I am far from short of options. Thanks to
hospitality and tourism industries continue to surge,
RGU I have secured two graduate positions, one with
there is a demand for highly skilled and motivated
Red Carnation Hotels and one with The Carnegie Club at
managers - that’s us! This course develops the link
Skibo Castle.
between theory and practice, gained through curriculum
and placement internship opportunities.

Annabel: My industry placement in my 3rd year was an

GRADUATE PROFILE – EDWARD POLLOCK
incredible experience. I went to the Highlands in Skibo
(BA (HONS) EVENTS MANAGEMENT)
Castle and “yes” I may have worked very hard long hours
but I love every minute of it and learned so much about Since graduating with a BA
luxury hospitality and wish to pursue this later on. (Hons) in Event Management
in 2018, I have continued
And have you done all this by yourself? my career at RGU with a
role as Startup Manager at
Annabel: Don’t underestimate the importance of the university and teaching
friends. Some of our biggest laughs have been as a part time on the Event
group working in the library late at night. I now live with Management course. My
Niamh and so not only do we live together but we study job involves designing and
together, and I am yet to get sick of her! hosting events, workshops
and classes to support
Niamh: I totally agree. Annabel and I are now in fourth students and staff who want
year and, along with other close friends, we are all on to be entrepreneurs and
track for first class degrees. This is because we support, helping to run our Startup
help and motivate each other every day to do the best Accelerator Programme.
we can. It can make coursework a lot more fun when you
get to do it with friends. My highlight has been planning an industry showcase
with stalls and pitches with over 200 guests and over
Also, I believe the help that students receive at RGU are £80,000 in prize funding given out. The practical
second to none! The lecturers are extremely supportive activities on the course, the work experience I gained
and always make themselves available to meet with us and the module content has helped me be more
or discuss any issues that we may be facing. creative, ambitious and develop valuable connections
which have helped me a huge amount since graduating.
And what is next for you both?
I would encourage students on the course to be
Niamh: I have secured a graduate job with Red Carnation ambitious with their work experience and try and gain
Hotels who own luxurious four and five star properties challenging roles, plan your own events, or look for
across the UK, Ireland, Europe, USA and South Africa. variety – that is the best way to get the confidence,
My role as a graduate management trainee will start in contacts and credibility to succeed after graduating.
London where I will complete a two-year training programme.
RESEARCH & ENGAGEMENT

OUR OWN HOTEL EXPERT STEPS RESEARCH FUNDING AWARDED

UP TO CHAIR OF ABERDEEN CITY FOR TOURISM PROJECTS
AND SHIRE HOTEL ASSOCIATION Dr Rachael Ironside and
Professor Peter Reid have
In a period of change Dr Andrew Martin has been asked been awarded funding for
to step up to head this membership organisation. projects involving digital
storytelling and tourism.
Andrew, who has held the post of Vice Chair for 3 Rachael was awarded
years has hit the ground running and is already in £10k from the Royal
conversation with our friends in both VisitAberdeenshire Society of Edinburgh
and VisitScotland to ensure the accommodation sector for her My Orkney Story
supports bids for business tourism to come to the region, project which will host a series of workshops on Orkney
and how the Hotel Association can support Growth over the next six months. The purpose of this project is
Fund applications primarily aimed at collaboration to to explore the potential for developing a wider digital
bring more leisure tourism. He has convened, and will story platform on Orkney following on from the success
Chair a meeting at TECCA/P & J Live on 20th February of the Orkney Folklore Trail. Both Peter and Rachael will
where all the tourism stakeholders will discuss increased also lead research on a University-wide international
involvement in destination development activity and project called Storytagging which was been awarded
joined up thinking across the sector to secure new £1m from the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme
business for the region. to collect, curate and bring to life stories across the
Northern Periphery region (including Russia, Scotland,
“Using the strength of the Hotel Association is a Finland and Ireland).
no-brainer in increasing the regional economic multiplier.
We have to work with partners to address the supply
issues in the market place. “
FOLKLORE AND TOURISM IN SWEDEN
Dr Rachael Ironside has been invited to Karlstad
This is a key leadership role in the Tourism community, University in Sweden to speak about folklore, digital
and gives the School and University not only great storytelling and tourism. She will also take part in a
visibility, but also means we are at the heart of tourism seminar and panel exploring geo-tagging, digital media
destination development decisions. and tourism.

SOLO TOURISM RESEARCH PUBLICATION NEWS

At the end of March, Craig Dr Andrew Martin has recently published a book
Leith (Academic Lead), will be chapter with former student Peigi Rodan titled Women’s
attending the International Participation in Leisure Cycling: A Scottish Perspective
Conference on Tourism which will be featured in an upcoming book, An Essential
Research (ICTR) in Valencia, Guide to Sports Performance.
Spain. While there Craig will
be presenting a paper entitled “Links between solo Craig Leith has recently published a paper called
tourism perceptions and desires for social interaction Tourism Trends: Lifestyle Developments and the links
and solitude.” This paper forms part of Craig’s to Solo Tourism appearing in the most recent edition of
on-going research into the wider area of solo tourism, Journal of Tourism Futures.
which also includes his recent publication Tourism
Trends: Lifestyle Developments and the links to Solo Dr Rachael Ironside has recently had a book chapter
Tourism appearing in the most recent edition of accepted called Self and the Supernatural which will be
Journal of Tourism Futures. featured in the International Handbook of Interactionism
due to be published later this year.

WHATS NEXT…
You can keep up to date with all of the activity going in in the School through the SCCB Facebook page which can
be found @CreativeBusinessRGU

You may also be interested in attending: 17th – 19th April: Aberdeen Student Festival