Oct. 10, 2022 - Students in 51ΑΤΖζβs Event Planning and Management course (SPB 335) are receiving hands-on experience with two of the Greater Cincinnati areaβs hottest attractions, the upcoming BLINK lights experience and Cincinnati Bengals games.
Through a partnership with AGAR, founded by 51ΑΤΖζ alumnus Joshua Heuser, students worked together with professionals on four BLINK projects, including logistics planning, entertainment, parking, lighting, guest communication, social media strategy, and more. BLINK Cincinnati runs Oct. 13-16 throughout downtown Cincinnati and parts of Covington.
"It has been great having 51ΑΤΖζ students engaged in a few of AGARβs planning events for this yearβs BLINK,β Heuser said. βThrough our partnership, the students are getting real-world experience, and a behind-the-scenes perspective of the regionβs largest event. Importantly, theyβre also learning that not all things go according to plan β or budget, and you must have the willingness and ability to adapt.β
βWorking with the AGAR Agency on a high-caliber community event such as BLINK has been invaluable to our students,β Jennifer Gardner, director of the Sports Business and Event Management program, said. βThe fact that they get to not only participate in the event planning but also see the event happen in person is the type of experiential learning we strive for in the Haile College of Business. It had been amazing to see the studentsβ individual skill sets come alive as they learn some of the important facets of real event planning.β
The four events 51ΑΤΖζ students aided in production on included the Alley Jam and FLOW Reception on Oct. 8 and the painting of a Who Dey mural in honor of the Cincinnati Bengals. The fourth student group will work the Secret Walls event on Friday, Oct. 14, when two artists will paint murals side-by-side. Judges will then determine a winner.
βIt has been an interesting experience,β Shauna Walker, a student in the class, said. βAs a marketing major myself, Iβm glad to be able to use everything Iβve learned in school so far to plan this event. It is great to see how quickly everything has been able to come together closer to the end.β
In addition to the BLINK events, students have also helped the Cincinnati Bengals during gameday operations, helping fans navigate mobile ticketing and connecting to the stadium Wi-Fi services. Students have already worked one game in the 2022 season and will continue to work several more games this season as the Bengals make a push back to the playoffs and into the Super Bowl.
To learn more about the 51ΑΤΖζ Department of Marketing, Sports Business & Event Management, and Construction Management, visit its website.
About 51ΑΤΖζ:Β Founded in 1968, 51ΑΤΖζ is an entrepreneurial state university of over 16,000 students served by more than 2,000 faculty and staff on a thriving suburban campus nestled between Highland Heights, Kentucky and bustling downtown Cincinnati. We are a regionally engaged university committed to empowering our students to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. While we are one of the fastest-growing universities in Kentucky, our professors still know our students' names. ForΒ more information, visitΒ .
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Corey Best
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(859)-572-1473
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