Success Story of the St. Pölten UAS and the WKO NÖ

Together with the “Fachgruppe Freizeit- und Sportbetriebe” (specialist group for leisure and sports businesses) of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Labour (WKO NÖ), the continuing education programme Event Management of the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences presented the successful Event.Forum.

The networking event, which was already fully booked several weeks before, took place on Monday, 20 November, at the Palais Niederösterreich. The committed students of the St. Pölten UAS, who were involved in the event’s organisation, inspired and brought together a total of 150 young talents and event experts.

Innovative Collaboration

The Event.Forum, an innovative collaboration between the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences and WKO NÖ, exceeded expectations and brought together representatives of the event industry at the Palais Niederösterreich in Vienna. The event featured renowned speakers such as Christoph Berndl, Susanne Hummel, Joachim Bankel, Alexander Knechtsberger, and Marcus Wild. The participating event experts and the next generation of event professionals experienced an unforgettable event that provided them with valuable insights into and contacts in the world of event management.

“This was top-class live marketing: big emotions and successful networking for valuable contacts in a relaxed atmosphere. Well done to our committed and competent students! And many thanks to the WKO NÖ for their trust. A great feat from both sides! The event job is more attractive than ever”, says Harald Rametsteiner, head of the part-time continuing education programme Event Management (MA) at the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences.

Win-win-win: Present, Recruit, Establish Contacts

“This is a cross-generational top event. With their practice lab work, the young event talents show what they are capable of and how they engage in networking with agency heads – and event employers, in turn, can present themselves and recruit new staff. At the same time, the WKO representation of interests has the chance show what the industry can do. A true win-win-win situation – I am delighted!” says WKNÖ chairman Gert Zaunbauer.

“We are incredibly proud of this great event that gave the young talents not only exciting insights into this varied industry but also the opportunity to engage in exchange with many event experts and to establish contacts”, adds project lead Tobias Krempler.

Career Start in Good Atmosphere

The highlight of the event: The Event.Forum provided inspiring discussions by conveying valuable industry insights to the participants. Within the framework of the audience discussion and the networking buffet, the participants enjoyed interesting talks with established event experts and forged connections that may help them to promote their career in event management.

Artists like saxophonist TomX, singer Caroline Kreutzberger, vocalist and producer Pete Simpson, and DJ Bianca Poro – a student of the St. Pölten UAS – ensured a good atmosphere before and after the panel and audience discussions. The participants were guided through the evening by Puls-4 host Alex Kratki.

The networking event allowed the participants to become part of a dynamic community and to broaden their horizons. The Event.Forum was a milestone for the event management sector that will stay with the professionals and students for a long time.

About the Continuing Education Programme Event Management at the St. Pölten UAS

The master degree continuing education programme Event Management is characterised by a well-balanced mix of theory and practice. In courses such as “Staging & Storytelling” and “Integrated Communication”, the contents are taught by professionals of the respective sectors and substantiated with real-world examples.

On 20 November 2023, the programme organised the networking event Event.Forum within the framework of the course Practice Lab and in collaboration with the Fachgruppe Freizeit- und Sportbetriebe of the WKO NÖ. In this context, they had the chance to put their acquired knowledge into practice.