1. Dissertation Kick-off Meeting
LTPP62N & LTPP69N
MA Events Marketing Management &
MA International Events Management

2. Agenda
• Dissertation
Objectives
• Dissertation
Structure
• Topics
• Data collection
• Writing up
• Supervision process

3. What should you achieve with the
dissertation?
LTPP62N & LTPP69N students • Manage a research project
should: through from conception to
• Conduct independent final report stage
research, into an area of • Critically review academic
academic & organizational literature and research
interest methodologies relevant to the
• Critically appraise research research, and bring together
methodologies academic literature and
empirical research findings
• Understand and reflect upon
their own skills and abilities as • Develop thorough detailed
a researcher and as an analysis and synthesis of
academic theory, policy and practice in
relation to the chosen topic

4. Dissertation structure
• There is some variation but
generally you have:
– Introduction (1500-2000)
– Literature review (4000-6000)
– Method (1000-1500)
– Findings (2000-3000)
– Analysis (2000-3000)
– Conclusion (1000-1500)
– Recommendations (1000-15000)
TOTAL NUMBER OF WORDS = 15,000

5. Topics
Students should have selected topics which are rooted
within the core areas of their courses:
LTPP62N LTPP69n
• Event experience • Events and sustainability
• The „live‟ experience • Events and authenticity
• Brands and events • Event and hyperfestivity/reality
• Tourism, culture and events • Events and social class
• Events and brand authenticity • Event and symbolic interaction
• Events and consumer decision-making • Events and marketing strategies
• Events and market positioning • Events and their impacts
• Event marketing strategies • Event experience management
• Event experience management • Event s as part of leisure
• Event business practice • Events and branding
• Event practice

6. Topics (cont‟d)
• Topics should also be
linked to literature
available at the
library:
– Journals on Events
and Events
Management
– Books on Events &
Event Management
– Databases for Events
& Event Management
– References &
Resources for all
types of Events

7. Data collection considerations
• Ethical considerations
• Practical considerations
• Approaches
PLEASE NOTE DATA COLLECTION SHOULD
START AFTER YOUR LITERATURE REVIEW
AND METHODOLOGY HAS BEEN APPROVED

8. Writing-up
• There is no such thing as a “writing-up phase”
• Students thinking they can simply “write-up” in
the last three weeks are deluding themselves!!!
• Writing starts from the first meeting with your
supervisor
• If you have called a meeting with your
supervisor and haven‟t written anything you are
wasting your time
• Every meeting with your supervisor should move
your dissertation further along – this can only
be achieved through continuous writing

9. Tools for writing-up
• Blogging
• Online-portfolio
• Wikis
• E-mail
• Supervisor meeting log-sheets
PLEASE NO TWEETS, FB STATUS UPDATES OR HAND-
WRITTEN NOTES UNDER MY DOOR, ALSO NO MID-
NIGHT PANIC CALLS

10. Supervision process
Both students and supervisors have specific
duties in this process
Students should ...
• Be familiar with the handbook
• Ensure regular and appropriate communication
• Prepare for meetings / communications
• Students should try to develop their own ideas /
thoughts on possible solutions before contacting the
supervisor
• Students should ensure timely input from the supervisor
• Act on supervisor‟s recommendations

11. Supervision process (cont‟d)
Supervisors should ...
• Provide up to 7.5 hours input for each student
• Have at least one face-to-face initial meeting
• Agree the ground rules for supervision
• Provide guidance at relevant points in the research
process
• Approve the research instrument
• Keep a record of student progress
• Coordinate dissertation marking with second-markers
and write up feedback for the student
• Communicate with the dissertation coordinator if any
particular difficulties arise

12. Supervision process (cont‟d)
• Difficulties with supervisors
should be brought to the module
leader‟s attention as soon as
possible
• Please note “not liking” your
supervisor is not a difficulty
• If a supervisor is to be replaced it
can take up to three weeks

13. Thank You
Questions???