Event Management & PR student wins top industry award

A third year student in GMIT’s College of Tourism and Arts has won a prestigious national award for her work as an intern with Irish Concert Promotion Company MCD. Sarah Nugent, a final year student on the Bachelor of Business in Event Management with Public Relations programme, was awarded"Best Intern" at the Event Industry Awards (EIA) 2014.

Sarah, from Lissycasey in Co Clare, started her placement in MCD in Dublin last June (2013), supported by the GMIT Links Office,  and finished in mid-January this year (2014) before returning to complete her third year degree studies in the Galway campus.

 “I'm thrilled to have won this award. The work placement aspect of my degree programme allowed me this amazing opportunity to do an internship with a prestigious company like MCD. I got to work alongside, and taught by, some of the best people in this industry.” says Sarah.

“During my second year of study, MCD were offering internships in marketing and production and I applied and was shortlisted for the production internship. I then had to go through an interview process and a day later I was given notice that I got it. Once the GMIT Links Office formalised the placement I started on the job after my second year exams (early June).

“During the eight months I was there I got to experience different areas of production, and worked in site office, assisting in event control, dressing room production, transport management, accreditation, customer care and front of house in venues such as the Gaiety Theatre.”

Tomas Mangan, lecturer in Event Management & PR, says the college is proud of Sarah’s success.

GMIT’s Cait Noone, Head of the College of Tourism & Arts, says: "We are delighted Sarah's hard work has been rewarded. The B.Bs in Event Management with PR is relatively new in the College of Tourism & Arts and is led by a team of dedicated and industry-focused lecturing staff who make all aspects of learning an interactive and engaged experience.”

“Sarah had done incredibly well and this award for her work with MCD clearly demonstrates how invaluable work experience is for students in higher education. We are delighted to have an opportunity to work with organisations such as MCD and I am confident Sarah will make a real impression on the event and public relations world when she starts full time employment.”

To read more about GMIT’s Bachelor of Business in Event Management & PR, see:

http://www.gmit.ie/hospitality/bachelor-business-event-management-publi…