UWTSD Tourism and Events students win NOEA 2023 award for best student event

30 November 2023

University Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) Tourism and Events students have won Best Student Event at the National Outdoor Events Awards (NOEA) in recognition of their outstanding efforts organising the ITT Future You Make A Splash Conference and Careers Fair in Swansea.

Programme Manager Jacqui Jones with graduate Amy Harris, both in evening dress, smile towards the camera and hold up the Best Student Event award.

This is the second award that the International Travel and Tourism, and Events and International Festivals Management programmes have won this year. In June they were announced as The Best Education Programme at the Institute of Hospitality Global Awards.

The Annual Convention and Awards NOEA Dinner was held in the Roman Baths and Pump Rooms, Bath, on November 22 and saw the industry’s best gain recognition across 23 categories including Best Small Event, Best Event Team, The Sustainability Award, and Best Practice Award.

Jacqui Jones, Program Manager of the International Travel, Tourism, Events and Festivals Management Portfolio at UWTSD said: “Winning another award for this event is very well-deserved recognition of all the students’ hard work and achievements and the success of the International Travel and Tourism, and Events and International Festivals programmes.

“The event was the biggest Institute of Travel and Tourism Future You Event ever organised and the first organised by students. It was nominated by current final year student Sam Goodfield who works at Swansea Arena. He is a member of NOEA and was so impressed by the event they organised, that he nominated his fellow students.”

The shortlist included some of the most recognisable individuals and brands in the events industry as well as new and emerging talent from across sporting and music festivals to country show, local authority, and cultural events.

The judges for the awards commented that: “Not only have we seen the largest level of competition in the award’s 20-year history, the quality of the entries, the events, the companies and the people that have been put forward have been exceptional.”

“We have commented in the past that just getting onto the shortlist of the NOEA awards should be seen as a high achievement, this is never truer than this year and we congratulate everyone who has been put forward. These were tough awards to judge!”

Susan Tanner, NOEA’s Chief Executive, said: “This year again saw a massive increase in entries, so we created more categories to recognise the diversity of entries and the different events they presented. This is such a reassuring sign for our industry, that it is creating events of this quality shows confidence as well as excellence.”

The award-winning team features recent graduates Amy Harris, Josh Wilson, Amanda Lewis, and Mel Bourke.

Jacqui added: “Only Amy could attend the ceremony as Josh is in the Caribbean as launch crew on the new Celebrity Cruise Ship, Amanda is the new Events Assistant with 4TheRegion and was organising The Green Economy Conference at Swansea, and Mel is now Meetings and Events Coordinator at the Principality Stadium and was also running an Event.

As a direct result of taking part in UWTSD’s Taith Tourism and Events Academic Adventure to the United States earlier this year, Amy has now left for an International Graduate Internship.

“Organised by UWTSD, Amy will spending a year working in Reservations at the Sonnenalp Resort in the Ski Resort of Vail, Colorado. Amy’s story is currently featured in Travel Weekly UK’s Take off in Travel Careers Guide which is great to see!”

UWTSD Tourism and Events students will be hosting Institute of Travel and Tourism Future You Conference and Careers 2024 at Swansea Arena with the support of ABTA and Institute of Hospitality. The theme will be Wales to the World and the event is for schools, colleges and prospective students and will be taking place at Swansea Arena on Tuesday February 27.