BA (Hons) Events Management graduate Jade Woodall has won a top accolade at the UK Centre for Events Management (UKCEM)’s 20th Anniversary Graduate Awards.
The Bournemouth University (BU) graduate received the Association for Events Management Education (AEME) Inspirational Graduate Award at the Conference and Hospitality Show at Leeds’ First Direct Arena.
The award, which was open to all events management graduates from all UK Higher Education Institutions, saw Jade praised for being “well engaged within the industry” and “continuing to develop her knowledge and career in events”.
Jade said: "I feel very excited to have won this award and am incredibly proud that my hard work has been recognised. The opportunities offered to me outside of the course at Bournemouth provided significant experience and really helped with the transition to working life.
“I'm so grateful to AEME for choosing me as the winner, and for my tutor’s nomination and continued support in the first steps of my career, even a year after leaving Uni!"
BU MSc Events graduate, co-founder and CEO of OneFine Corporation in Silicon Valley, California, Ivana Gligoric, was third-place runner up for the award. Ivana was commended for using her industry experience (MD of Serbia’s Exit Festival) and her Master’s award to achieve significant goals in the global events industry.
Ivana reached her goal of working on the London Olympic and Paralympic Games and used this experience to become Head of Venue Design & Development for the inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2015.
Ivana said: “'I am deeply honoured by this nomination. Very special thanks for nominating me, and sincere thank you to Bournemouth University who awarded me with a Scholarship for my Master’s Studies and who trusted in me in my early days”
Senior Lecturer in Events Management, Dr Mary Beth Gouthro, said: “We are very pleased to have graduates of our courses nominated and recognised here. It is further testament in showing how getting involved in initiatives alongside of the course broadens opportunities and opens doors.”
She added: “I’d like to congratulate all nominees and prize winners.”
Dr Caroline Jackson, Chair of AEME, said: “AEME are delighted to be able to celebrate the achievements of graduates from all event-related degrees in this way. As tutors of our students, for such a short period of time in their lives, it is with great pride that we see how they have personally progressed. There is also a collective sense of achievement in how they have further developed their studies and intellectual skills for the greater good of the event sector and society and the economy as a whole.”
