Western students host event with NRL Premiers

Western Sydney University students have hosted the inaugural Sport and Hospitality Summit and Luncheon alongside National Rugby League Premiers the Cronulla Sharks.

Held at the Cronulla Sharks Leagues Club, 80 people from across the business and hospitality industries came together to give advice learnt over decades of experience to 150 university and 50 high school students.

University student and Cronulla Sharks intern Casey Studden, who helped organise the event, says the luncheon gave her the opportunity to build her industry knowledge and test her skills.

"I was offered the chance to organise and run the event and I saw it as a fantastic opportunity to use the skills I've learnt in class," she says.

"The event gave me the opportunity to cement and deepen relationships with industry professionals that I hope to use later in my career."

Students were given the chance to put their classroom work into practice by planning, coordinating, executing and evaluating the event.

Dr Tim Hall from the School of Business says the event offered students the chance to build on their classroom knowledge.

"This event gives industry partners the chance to meet students and pass on valuable insight into the business world. In our version of the 'flipped classroom' the organising students learn by putting on the event, whilst attending students are given the opportunity to have a learning experience inside an organised industry event,' says Dr Hall.

"2016 is the first year we're running an event like this but we hope to continue it in the coming years to ensure our future students have similar experiences."

"This event was only made possible by the co-operation and support of the Cronulla Leagues Club and their Chief Executive Officer Marcelo Veloz who not only mentored the students, but also arranged for the club to provide significant financial and in kind support."

Speakers at the event included Cronulla Sharks Group CEO Lyall Gorman and NSW Woman of the Year, Sharks Assistant Stadium Manager and Western Sydney University Student and 2016 NSW Woman of the year Jen Armstrong and sport management guru James Erskine who amongst many career highlights once managed Muhammad Ali.

Ends

18 October 2016

Elliott Richardson - Media Unit