Puppies, pastries, ice cream, and culture-sharing – what could be better? Students in Dr. Andrew Monti’s third-year Events Management (COMM 3001) course took the lead in organizing two events at the Trent University Durham GTA campus. 

In this Communications course, students learn about conceptualizing, planning, marketing, executing, and evaluating events. The students start by pitching a real, on-campus event and then lead the event planning. 

“The course features a substantial hands-on component to animate theory with practice, because we learn by doing. The goal for students is to develop a strong command of the principles of event management and display the skills of professional event managers,” said Professor Monti.

The students voted to move forward with the Pups & Pastries event, which highlighted the connection between kindness and mental wellbeing by bringing puppies to campus during exam season; and Scoops ‘N Culture, which celebrated cultural diversity by inviting students to wear their cultural clothing to campus. 

Communications student Priya Ramoutar helped to pitch, organize, and execute the Pups & Pastries event. Priya says the course not only helped her learn the event-planning process and gain hands-on experience, but it also helped her connect with her fellow classmates and the campus community.  

“The event planning process brought our class closer together, formed new friendships, and gave us an understanding of how to work with one another. I would recommend this course for those who are interested in getting to know more people around the school (staff and students), as they will be required to interact with them, allowing them to build connections.” she said. 

Ruthie Aboagye, another Communications student, was part of the team that organized the Scoops ‘N Culture event. She said, “Our main goal for this event was to let all attendees experience happiness and appreciate the importance of celebrating cultural diversity.” 

She added: “This course has helped me build my portfolio as a communications professional. Coming from a PR background, this is definitely another step on the professional ladder for me. I can now say I have knowledge and skill to run an event. Not just the theoretical aspect, but also the practical aspect of event management.” 

Both events received positive feedback from students, staff, and faculty. 

Prof. Monti says this third-year course also prepares students for their fourth-year experiential learning capstone and professional placement courses. The Events Management course gives students the experience and confidence to succeed when they work with industry partners in their final year courses. 

“If the ultimate goal of events is bringing people together for a common purpose and a memorable experience, COMM 3001 wraps these efforts in a lasting learning experience,” said Prof. Monti.

Learn more about the Communications program, offered exclusively at Trent Durham.