Venue Management School set to reach 25 year education and development landmark

The Venue Management Association [Asia and Pacific] (VMA) is set to mark a significant landmark in November this year with the 25th staging of its Venue Management School (VMS).

Commencing in 1994 with an intake of less than 30 to now exceeding more than 100 attendees, heading into its 25th anniversary the VMS’ program and its dedicated group of instructors have been instrumental in furthering the careers of more than 900 venue industry professionals.

As the brainchild of a group of passionate venue industry professionals associated with the VMA, the VMS was originally conceived to ensure that those with industry experience and knowledge passed it along to our next generation of venue management professionals.

The inaugural Chair of the VMS, Gareth James (past VMA President and Honorary Life Member) spoke recently about the camaraderie that existed within the profession from those early days and the very strong desire to pass along that knowledge.

One of the core strengths of the School, and what makes the VMS the ultimate industry education experience, is the remarkable team of instructors that give up their time free-of-charge each and every year to give back to the next generation.

Many of the VMS’s early students have gone on to be long-term instructors at the School, in part, due to what they believe has been the significant and career changing experience that comes with attending VMS as a student.

Acknowledged as the only venue industry run program of its kind in the Australia and Asia-Pacific region, the School’s unique program is designed by the industry and for the industry which has gained it a reputation as a world-class educational program in the venue management space. In 2017, the VMS was even recognised as a National Finalist for Best Education or Training Program by the Australian Event Awards.

As a residential program, the VMS offers students the opportunity to learn from the best and connect with other venue professionals from across the region. There is no other education experience in the venue industry that allows the opportunity for such intimate career-defining networks to be developed.

The VMS has been privileged with the ongoing support of many individuals and organisations from across our industry and we look forward to welcoming our next batch of alumni and celebrating this unique and proud milestone. To all of those VMS instructors and volunteers that have come before us, and all that will follow, the VMA salutes you – for your dedication to our industry, for your commitment to improving our profession, and for your personal contribution towards advancing the careers of all our students.

The 2018 Venue Management School and VMA Leadership Institute will be held from 11th to 16th November.

For more information go to vma.org.au/venue-management-school-and-leadership-institute

Image: Instructors at the 2016 VMS.