EVENT MANAGEMENT EDUCATION AND EVENT INDUSTRY: A CASE OF MALAYSIA

Abstract

Malaysia has experienced a fast growth in organizing international festivals and business events, especially mega events. Internationalization, recognition and importance of the events as an industry are currently paving the way for a proper events management education. It is generally accepted that event management education combines disciplines that come under the umbrella of business, communication or hospitality schools. Therefore its norms, standards and status as a discipline have yet to be fully established and effectiveness of current curricula in preparing students is yet to be assessed. The current study aims at analyzing event management education in Malaysia, highlighting the gap between event management education and industry needs, especially with regard to the standards for education in events management. This research involves comparing the views of industry professionals and events program education providers to determine the discrepancy between the respective views.  The methods of analysis first consist of content analysis of the existing degrees to determine the distance in knowledge transfer. Second, a human resource deployment survey was conducted with graduates to identify gaps between their classroom knowledge and their workplace experiences. Facts suggest that a gap exists between the current curricula of the emerging voice from the Malaysian events management and the needs of the events industry as a tool for tourism growth. The results outline how the tourism industry can participate in acknowledging the importance of events management education in developing qualified professionals needed for the industry both locally and abroad.