Summer 2011 - Faculty of Business and Law - Victoria University

SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSWelcome to the latestedition of DegreesIn this edition, I’m sure you will be once again impressed with the qualityand diversity of the activities of our staff, graduates and students. On page 5,for example, you’ll gain some insights into the accolades our staff, students anddegrees have recently received. One of the highlights in 2010 was our successin the accreditation of a suite of hospitality and tourism undergraduate degreesfrom the European Foundation for Management Development A great credit toall involved; further information can be gained about this achievement on page7. Sally Curtis’ Third Degree story (page 8) is a neat snippet of how successfulshe has been since graduating in 1998. It’s particularly nice to read about ournew Adjunct Professor, Roger James, on page 6 and to see a snapshot of him asthe proud father with his daughter on her wedding day. We are looking forwardto working with Roger in his new role with the School as Adjunct Professor. Thestory on Tourism Week (starts below) highlights our continuous collaborationwith industry and shows that studying doesn’t have to be all work without play!2010 was a very busy year. Dr Pandora Kay left us after 13 years with theUniversity; we wish her all the best in her new role. We embarked on a majorrecruitment drive and appointed a number of new academic staff across events,marketing and hospitality. Our new colleagues have already commenced andwe would like to welcome Dr Maxwell Winchester, Dr Torgeir Watne, Mr ColinDrake, Mr Robb Mason, Dr Thuy-Huong Truong and Ms Elizabeth Porublevto the University and the School. In 2010, the Faculty of Business and Lawalso embarked on a re-alignment of its resources. One of the outcomes of thatre-alignment was that staff and our programs in the School of Hospitality,Tourism and Marketing are now situated in a newly formed School: the Schoolof International Business. The change provides us with an opportunity to workmore closely with colleagues in retail, music industry and international trade,who until last year were situated in the School of Economics and Finance. Welook forward to the exciting opportunities that this provides us to leverage thepotential that working and learning at Victoria University offers our staff andstudents. Watch this space!Once again thanks to the many staff who assist in making each editionof Degrees interesting, particularly Olga Junek, Romana Garma and AustinNorman. I hope you enjoy reading this issue.RegardsAnne-Marie HedeActing Head of SchoolDegrees is produced byRecollections by Nina on behalfof the Publisher: School ofInternational Business, FootscrayPark Campus, Victoria University,PO Box 14428, Melbourne,Victoria 8001, AustraliaEditors:Olga Junek Ph: (03) 9919 5019Email: olga.junek@vu.edu.auFax: (03) 9919 4931Anne-Marie HedePh: (03) 9919 4715Email: anne-marie.hede@vu.edu.auCopy, design andproduction:Recollections by NinaPh: 0421 882 514Email: nina.petrie@gmail.comCover picture (story p2)Tourism Expo representativeLaura Blackie from Mt AvocaWines www.mountavoca.comDegrees PaperThe paper used to print Degrees is20% recycled, FSC certified(Forest Stewardship Council)TCF (totally chlorine free) and thepulp is sourced from responsibleforestry practices.Have you got some news?If you’d like to share informationon a graduate, a student, or thefields of hospitality, tourism, eventsor marketing, please contact theeditors or Nina on 0421 882 514or nina.petrie@gmail.comA week dedicated totourism and the business of funThe first Victoria Tourism Week washeld in September 2010 and waslaunched at Victoria University’s CityFlinders Campus. Visiting Victoriais now big business with tourismemploying 185,000 Victorians andcontributing $15.8 billion to thegross state economy each year.The week was aimed at encouragingVictorians to explore Victoria and to improvetheir visitor experience. It also brought peoplein the industry together and identified careerpaths in tourism.Victoria Tourism Week was launched atVictoria University’s City Flinders Campusby Victoria University graduate, Todd Blake(Bachelor of Business – Catering andHotel Management 1994). Todd is CEOof the Victoria Tourism Industry Council andGeneral Manager of Tourism and Eventsat the Victorian Employers Chamber ofCommerce and Industry (VECCI). By hostingthe launch, VU affirmed its longstanding role indeveloping Victoria’s tourism industry.After the launch, the university hosted apanel discussion, Tourism - The People andCulture Industry. Speakers included GeetaHeffernan, VECCI’s International BusinessDevelopment Manager and Phil Webley, theManaging Director of Sino Access. The panelmembers spoke about the needs and culturalcharacteristics of the growing Indian andChinese markets.Melbourne’s cultural life– you’re standing in itWhen you eat tapas at a lanewaybar, go silly at the footy or buy Stiltoncheese at Victoria Market you are notonly pleasing yourself. Argues ToddBlake, you are also contributing toMelbourne’s rich cultural life.Since Easter, Todd has been the GeneralManager of Tourism and Events Services at theVictorian Employers Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (VECCI). He says what makes Melbournespecial is how deeply engaged its residents arein the activities that set the city apart.“It’s more complicated to market Victoria thanother places where you can say ‘I took the photo,bought the T-shirt and then went home,’‘’ he says.“People come here to see how we live. When youget 70,000 people turning up to a footy game,that’s what makes it a spectacular event ... Therestaurant industry in Melbourne exists because ofthose Melbourne and regionally-based diners whodine out regularly and sustain it.’’At VECCI, Todd leads peak industry bodiessuch as the Victoria Tourism Industry Council, theVictoria Events Industry Council, Tourism AllianceVictoria and the Backpacker Operators Allianceof Victoria. He has plans to bring 900 smallVictorian tourism and events businesses under theumbrella of six larger organisations to increasetheir clout and marketing reach.continued from page 2The same day, VU’s City Flinders Campus washost to the 17th Annual Hospitality, Tourismand Events Careers Expo. More than 100industry representatives across the three sectorsattended the event, from businesses as diverseas Crown, the Melbourne Convention andExhibition Centre and Sofitel Melbourne aswell as RACV, Museums Victoria and VU’s ownmarketing and events department.A record 242 students also attended the event.The event was a success with every exhibitor.Communication and interpersonal skills arehighly valued in the tourism industry, so it wasgratifying that many employers at the expowere favourably impressed with the students.While VU student Claire said: “It was sucha great opportunity for me to discover whereI want to go next year. I have done a lot ofthinking since the expo and am sure a greatposition will work out for me.’’I thought the Expo was excellent. There wasa high calibre of students in attendance,’’ saidLisa Burke, Reservations Manager, Outbound,Abercrombie and Kent.During Tourism Week, VU also hostedan industry seminar on corporate socialresponsibility and environmental practices inOne of his challenges, he says, is to encouragemore people to visit the regions, particularly inthe more remote parts of the state, such as EastGippsland, where tourism can fade away oncethe summer ends. Todd says Victoria has oneadvantage over other states. “We are morecompact and have a very diverse geography.Travel three hours from Melbourne and you canexperience rainforest, desert, alpine regions andsurf beaches.’’Seventeen years ago, Todd graduated fromthe former Victoria University of Technology’sHospitality School and attended its first classin Event Management. “It was an experimentalsubject and it served me well,” he says.Since then, Todd has worked in London andmanaged food and hospitality trade shows inBeijing and Shanghai. For four years he wasthe Chief Executive Officer of Restaurant andCatering Victoria and he is also a member ofboards and industry advisory groups includingthe Victorian Food & Wine Tourism Counciland the Tourism Victoria Regional Action PlanReference Group.“Our view is that as the Victorian economyevolves over the next 20 years, its direction willbecome an even more service-based economy,’’he says. An unknown element will be the impacttourism and event organisations. The seminarwas organised by Colin Drake, Lecturer inEvent Management.The week ended with the Tourism IndustryAmazing Race. The race took place onFriday September 10 in Melbourne’slaneways and other special places. Threeteams from VU participated in a challengethat was more about strategic planning thanfast footwork. The event provided participantswith a chance to meet some new friends inthe event.Simon Kraft, the team leader of VU teamone, described the race as: “A childhooddream that came true. Spending a wholeday in a big city in your pyjama pants (andVU T-shirt) doing crazy tasks like cocktailmixing at Radisson and abseiling at theUrban Central, along with a lot of runningduring the three hours from Williams Streetto Flinders Street and then to Etihad, backto Bourke Street, Federation Square andEureka Tower’’.Proud of his team having completed many ofthe tasks – Simon said the race itself was abig winner in the fun department.SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSVU graduate Todd Blakeof climate change. It is possible, for instance,that a warmer, drier climate could lead to alonger swimming season along the southernocean beaches and less snow in the highcountry but more bushwalking and trail-riding.Each major piece of tourism infrastructurerequires a “20 to 30 year vision,’’ Toddsays, predicting that by 2030 Melbournewill support a second international airportand a very fast train to Sydney.The Amazing Race Team 1, from left: Mario Romangonzalez,Simon Kraft and Ali Ebrahimpourjafarinejad.2 VICTORIA UNIVERSITY VICTORIA UNIVERSITY3

SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSFinding her own rhythmThe music industry is competitive butVU graduate Fiona Nicolson remainsdetermined to forge a career forherself in a field she loves.“My first time at a music festival I was in aweof the amount of music to see and the love thecrowd had for the bands,’’ she said. “It wasthen that I realised what I wanted more thananything was to be the person who brought themusic out and got it to the public”In 2008, after three years of study at VU, Fionaset off to find her dream job with a Bachelor ofBusiness (Music Industry/Event Management)under her wing.“It was very challenging finding work postuniversity.I find that the events and musicindustries are very much based on who youknow. During university I worked at a numberof event and music based companies ininternships in order to make contacts”Fiona participated in three internships as partof her studies at VU. Two of these were withMushroom Group Promotions in 2008, the otherwith the Williamstown Festival in March 2009.“Internships are always a great way to learn abusiness ground up … As the (Williamstown)Festival is run solely by volunteers, the internshad a huge role to play. I was provided withthe opportunity to manage key aspects of theevent including coordination of the communityparade and booking artists to perform.”Fiona’s work at Mushroom Records gave herinsights into the promotions and marketingaspect of the business. “I was involved ina number of media events but the greatesthighlight was getting to be a part of SoundRelief .” (Sound Relief was a multi-venue rockconcert held to raise funds for those affectedby the February 2009 Victorian bushfires andQueensland floods.)Fiona was awarded the Faculty of Businessand Law Undergraduate Student Medal for“academic excellence” during the courseof her studies. “My high grades as well asinvolvement with faculty events and functionsmade me eligible for the award … I was veryhonoured to receive it.”Since completing her degree Fiona saidshe has “continued event work with variousfestivals, helped out with local communityfunctions and, worked for Marriner Theatresand Festival Hall. My music industryinvolvement … has been a bit more grassroots, planning and hosting a number of localgigs with up and coming artists.’’Fiona is looking forward to the next challenge.“Ideally I would love to own my own livemusic venue. For the time being I plan oncontinuing my work with certain outdoorstudents share experiencesLast year the School did somemarket research of its own whenit asked students for an honestappraisal of their course andsubjects over a business lunch.The purpose of the business lunch was forVU staff to better understand the studentexperience with the School and theUniversity, and also to provide a fullerunderstanding of the challenges studentsface on and off campus. MarketingLecturer, Romana Garma hosted themarketing business lunch with Acting Headof School Anne-Marie Hede.Marketing students Jessica Merganovski,Suzanne McErvale and Mirsada Hamzicwere invited to a business lunch.Mirsada, who has now finished her jointdegree in Marketing and InternationalTrade as part of the Bachelor of Business,said she spoke at the lunch about theMarket Research and Advanced MarketResearch subjects.The 22-year-old described how she hadjuggled working for Chanel, at David Jonesdepartment stores, with her full-time studies.The job involved frequent trekking betweenthe Glen Waverley and city stores. Mirsadadidn’t want her university studies to sufferbecause of her work commitments, and soreluctantly gave up the demanding position.“I want to get good results when I study,’’said Mirsada. She took a double majorbecause she was not able to decidewhether to pursue marketing or internationaltrade – and now that she has graduatedshe is still torn between the two. She is nowconsidering whether to take up a marketingposition, but also has ambitions to importsome Bosnian goods to Australia (Mirsadaand her family are Bosnian immigrants).She and many of her fellow Bosnians inAustralia miss household grocery items suchas Mikado chocolate, she explains. Andshe is also interested in importing antiqueBosnian carpets.Romana was Mirsada’s Market Researchand Advanced Market Research Lecturer. “Ifound the subject to be so helpful, it openedup my mind to what market research is,’’ shesaid. “It was a real eye-opener to what theFiona Nicolson checks out a potential live music venue in Greece.festivals as not only is it a great way to meetindustry people – it also continues to be athrilling experience.”Further information can be foundat http://www.vu.edu.au/courses/bachelor-of-business-marketing-eventmanagement-bbmvjob entails and with Romana’s help, I got anoutstanding result.’’Romana also recommended Mirsada for amarket research assignment with DandenongCouncil, looking at how residents and visitorsexperience council services. Mirsada saidshe found the job to be interesting andrewarding.Romana said the lunch was “a wonderfulexperience’’. When you stand in front of 100students in a lecture theatre you sometimesforget that every student has their own storyto tell ... (At the lunch) I gained insights intothe world of a typical university student.I hope to develop strategies that couldmake students’ lives easier and facilitateopportunities for students to better engagewith the School.”Anne-Marie Hede said “I was very impressedwith the students we hosted. I know they willbe great advocates for Victoria University formany years to come.’’If you would like to be involved inthe Business lunch series in 2011contact the School of InternationalBusiness at HOS.IB@vu.edu.autake a bow...the road lesstravelledSurfing, whitewaterraftingand trekking innational parkshave all formedpart of LecturerDr MartinFluker’s careeras a tourismacademic.In December 2010,Dr Fluker received theVice Chancellor’s Peak Award for IndustryEngagement. The award was based onthree projects which continue his interest incombining research with teaching.The first was the Fluker Post Project,monitoring the visual condition of tracks inremote sections of Victorian National Parks.The project, which is continuing, involvesParks Victoria and Tourism Victoria.Fluker Posts are green wooden posts witha cradle on the top for perching a digitalcamera. They can be found on remotetracks in three Victorian National Parks – inthe Brisbane Ranges, the You Yangs andon the Great Ocean Walk in the GreatOtway National Park.Information at each post instructs willinghikers to take a photograph of the track.Pictures are then posted to FlukerPost@gmail.com. They form a visual record ofthe state of the track for park rangers andvisitors.Two subjects taught by Dr Fluker alsocontributed to the Award. In TourismProduct Design and Delivery (BHO2193)Dr Fluker formed an industry partnershipwith the tourism company, PeregrineAdventures/Geckos. Students develop atravel product and brochure as part of theirassessment. Peregrine chooses two winnersand awards them a travel prize. Over thepast eight years, prizes have included aneight-day cruise down the Nile and a 10-day Thai “Beachcomber” holiday.The subject Nature-based Tourism(Bachelor of Business – Tourism) alsocontributed to Dr Fluker’s award. In 2009,Dr Fluker took a group of 35 students on athree-day field trip to Tasmania. The ideawas to engage as many tour operators aspossible and for students to experiencenature-based tourism first hand.For the loveof musicAsked why she chose to study themusic industry at Victoria University,Medal of Excellence Winner AnnieMaokhamphiou says: “The universalaspect of music, which can evokethe same feelings in masses ofpeople from different cultures andbackgrounds without rhyme orreason is simply incredible and wasenough to convince me to undertakethe course.’’The Bachelor of Business (Music Industry)graduate studied at the Footscray Park Campusand was an overseas exchange student atBelmont University, Tennessee in 2009. Onaverage, Annie achieved high distinctionsacross her units of study in her degree.“Music has always been important tome as a soundtrack throughout my lifeespecially as I’ve always found it difficult toexpress myself,’’ Annie says. “I wanted tosee what the music industry was all about,how it all came together behindthe scenes.’’During her degree, Annie participated in aresearch project on the live music economyand was involved in collecting primarydata to determine the value of the livemusic industry for the Australian economy.At Belmont University, Annie undertookcoursework, studying subjects such asPublic Relations in the Music Industry andHistory of the Recording Industry. Nashville,Tennessee is one of three capital musiccities in the United States, she says.“Studying at Belmont was very different tothe university system we have here. It’s verymuch an experience in itself. It’s somethingyou’re in rather than something you do.Annie 22, is now planning to travel toEurope. “My career goals aren’t a highpriority for me at the moment in the musicor any other industry. I am working full timeand just taking things as they come. Whenthe urge or passion hits me to search for ajob in the music industry I’ll jump at it withall that VU offers its graduates and alumniin career planning and job searching.”If you would like further informationon this course please click on http://www.vu.edu.au/courses/bachelor-ofbusiness-music-industry-bbmsSCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSwinner atevent awardsIn the world ofevents, this was big.Victoria University’sBachelor ofBusiness (EventManagement) wonthe Best EducationProgram at the2010 AustralianEvent Awards.The award recognisedVU’s hands on, industryfocusedapproach to EventManagement, says the Acting Head of Schoolof Hospitality, Tourism & Marketing AssociateProfessor Anne-Marie Hede.The University has been at the forefront ofevent teaching and research for more thana decade. Event Management is a growthindustry, with Melbourne considered Australia’sevents capital.Students in the degree undertake a minimum150 hours of paid or voluntary work in theevents sector. Students also have the optionof undertaking a year-long paid placement,managed by the University’s Centre for WorkIntegrated Learning.Placements often lead to paid employment,said Senior Lecturer Dr Leonie Lockstone-Binney.“It is a very well developed degree, she said.“All of our students get to know what it is like towork in the world of events.’’Event Management studies are becomingmore popular each year, attracting about 60students in 2003 to about 170 students in2010, she says. Courses range from diplomato PhD level. Graduates can find themselvesorganising congresses, conferences, exhibitions,meetings, special events or major eventsEvents Management is “being recognised asan industry now, whereas before there werepathways into events from hospitality, or fromtourism,’’ said Leonie.The VU degree incorporates seven corebusiness units ranging from Marketing to IT.This grounding in business provides studentswith the expertise to move into EventManagement after undertaking a number ofspecialist subjects including Business Events,Event Evaluation, Event Creation and Designand Live Performance Management.Local employers who have taken VU graduatesinclude the Convention and Exhibition Centreand the Carlton Football Club.4 VICTORIA UNIVERSITY VICTORIA UNIVERSITY5

SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSThe Third Degree – SALLY CURTISEducation: Bachelor of Business – Cateringand Hotel Management 1998 Born:MelbourneLives: Seaholme, Hobsons BayEmployed as: Business & Tourism ServicesOfficer Hobsons Bay City CouncilWhat does your job involve?I look after tourism and the economicdevelopment of all the businesses, from retail tomanufacturing, in Hobsons Bay – that includesthe suburbs of Altona, Williamstown, Newport,Spotswood and Laverton.At council we work in conjunction withDestination Melbourne, Tourism Victoria andWestern Melbourne Tourism. Roughly 50 percent of my job is looking after local businesses,assisting them to develop and grow theirbusiness. Paz Group, a local stonemasonsfrom Brooklyn, took out Business of the Year atthe recent Hobsons Bay Business ExcellenceAwards, which I also coordinate as part of myrole. I live here, I work here and I play here –that’s my motto and that’s really what I do. I livein Seaholme and I work at council in Altona,which is just two minutes away.Delivering workshops, forums, events, providingsupport and guidance so that they can prosperand become sustainable in the future. And50 per cent is promoting tourism in the area.Williamstown is our gem. There’s no place likeWilliamstown, it’s magnificent – the historicwaterfront, the maritime history, the magnificentold houses. A village that is so close to thecity and yet a world away! We have ghosttours running now in Williamstown and Altona.Lantern Ghost Tours just won our best newbusiness award. The tours are quite spookyand add to our knowledge of history. I dareyou to take one if you are game!What led you to this position?I worked with council five years ago setting upthe Williamstown Visitor Information Centre. Itwas quite a challenge, but such a rewardingexperience. When I started the building wasan empty shell. I had to be interior designer,write policies, hire staff and volunteers and alsogain accreditation for the centre, the wholeshebang! It was a big job and I learned a lot.It was a very valuable experience indeed. Aftergraduating from VU I worked in hotels, first inMelbourne, then London for a couple of years.I travelled around the world and realised howmuch I loved travelling and enjoyed hearingpeople’s stories.I thought I wanted to do something in thatfield, but I didn’t know what, so when I returnedto Australia I volunteered at the WerribeeInformation Centre for a few months. I thought‘this is perfect, this is just great, it would begood to be paid to do this,’ then I got a job atthe Visitor Information Centre at Sunbury.The Williamstown job came after that. I wasemployed at Williamstown until the VisitorCentre became accredited, then I was offereda job at Service Skills Victoria where I workedhelping visitor information centres and tourismbusinesses gain accreditation. It was a greatpreparation for my present role. Before I startedat Service Skills Victoria, I had the people skills,but the new role working with businesses ontheir accreditation applications, and the settingup of the Williamstown Information Centre,helped consolidate my business knowledge.“This is perfect, this is just great, it would be good to be paid to do this.’’My dream jobA friend of mine sent me the details of this jobwhen it was advertised. I will have been backhere a year in January and hope to expandthe role in 2011. I slotted back in working withthe Arts, Events and Tourism Department. It’swonderful. I get to enjoy the area and workwith my friends. Every day is different. I’malways out and about, meeting new people,talking to traders and enjoying the wonderfulsights of Hobsons Bay. It’s a dream role for me.I feel very lucky.More information on Hobsons Bay athttp://www.hobsons.vic.gov.au/WHERE ARE THEY NOW?Barter, Naomi M.BUS Event Management2009,Business Development ManagerEvents, Tourism Victoria.Melbourne, Vic.Bouroncle Cecilia M.BUS EventManagement 2009, Education Manager,Austrade, Peru.Brown, Vanja B.BUS Tourism Management2005, Corporate Accounts ExecutiveSingapore Airlines, Melbourne Vic.Cimino, Sonia B.BUS Hospitality/ TourismManagement 2003, Accor QF LoungeManager Melbourne Airport, Melbourne Vic.Petterson, Trent B.BUS Marketing/ TourismManagement 2003, Airport Duty Manager,Alice Springs Airport, Alice Springs NT.Palombo, Steven B.BUS Travel & TourismManagement 1997, Manager Australia AirMauritius Limited, Melbourne Vic.Grow, Heath-Scott B.BUS HospitalityManagement 2007, Endeavour ResearchFellow to PR China and Hong Kong SAR,Xian, China.Hede, Anne-Marie PhD 2004 AssociateDean Research and Research Training.Seitel, Sebastian B.BUS HospitalityManagement 2005 Assistant Director ofFood & Beverage, Grand Hyatt, ShenzenNorman, Austin, M.BUS TourismManagement 2010 Selection Officer, Schoolof International Business, Victoria UniversityGRADUATES!Do we have your email contact details?Do you receive the monthly VU AlumniEmail News? A typical issue includesimminent alumni events, conferencesand seminars, professional developmentprograms, short courses and employmentopportunities. To get on the mailing list,simply email alumni@vu.edu.auDon’t want to receive thisnewsletter or need toupdate your details?Just advise us of your details andwe’ll take you off the mailing list.Fax back the cover sheet, with anote on it asking us to remove you,or email your details to:olga.junek@vu.edu.au8 VICTORIA UNIVERSITY