Bachelor of Business (Convention and Event Management)

This is a three-year bachelor degree built around the business of running events and conventions. You study how conferences, exhibitions, festivals, gala dinners and corporate functions are planned, sold, staged and paid for. Expect units in event operations, venue and convention sales, food and beverage management, marketing, accounting, law and human resources. The hospitality and culinary setting at Le Cordon Bleu Australia means food, beverage and service standards run through the degree rather than sitting off to one side.

Like most Australian bachelor degrees, it runs on a semester or trimester calendar and is made up of units of study, each worth a set number of credit points. You typically complete 24 units over three years full time, with the option to spread study over a longer period. The final year usually includes a capstone unit or industry project where you pull together what you have learned and apply it to a real brief. Work-integrated learning is standard in this field, so you should expect a placement or practicum in an events, conference or hospitality business, plus industry exposure through the school's professional network. Confirm the exact unit list, credit points and placement requirements on the official course page.

Skills you come out with are practical: writing an event brief and a budget that holds up, running a site inspection, negotiating with suppliers and venues, coordinating a production schedule, managing risk and compliance, and reading a profit and loss for a function. You also learn to sell a convention to a client and to lead a casual team on the day. These are the things employers ask about in interviews, and they are hard to fake.

The degree suits school leavers who want a business qualification with a hands-on edge, and people already working in hotels, restaurants, venues or tourism who want to move into management. It also works for career changers drawn to the pace of events. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available after you finish, depending on your circumstances. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 089885M. Check the official page for current entry requirements, English proficiency and intake dates.

• Event coordinator or manager, planning and delivering conferences, exhibitions, weddings and corporate functions for event companies, hotels and venues.
• Conference and convention sales executive, selling venue space and packages to associations, corporates and meeting planners.
• Banquet or functions manager, running food and beverage service for large events in hotels, clubs and catering operations.
• Exhibition or trade show organiser, managing exhibitor relationships, floor plans and logistics for industry expos.
• Festival or arts event producer, programming and delivering public events for councils, arts organisations and tourism bodies.
• Venue operations coordinator, rostering staff, managing suppliers and keeping a venue compliant and running smoothly.
• Destination or tourism marketing officer, promoting a region or precinct through events and business tourism.

Australian employers in these roles include hotels and resort groups, convention and exhibition centres, catering companies, event production agencies, tourism boards, local councils, clubs, wineries and large corporate in-house events teams.