Summer 2011 - Faculty of Business and Law - Victoria University

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