Using job advertisements to advance event management research

Abstract

Continued progress in the tourism industry and rapid technological advances have pointed to the continued need for well-educated managers in the event sector. Attempts at professionalizing have also identified formal tertiary education and industry training to be significant components in these efforts, and although there is a clear association between education and the needs of the industry, the correlation has often been questioned. This discussion examines the prevailing, but limited discourse on event management skills and attributes, analyzes its implications, and offers several explicit research propositions to advance knowledge using job advertisement analysis. These suggestions will be of benefit to formal education providers and the event sector as an international agenda for event management skilling is advanced.