Business students prepare to rock Ricoh Arena

UCB business students are getting hands-on experience helping to promote an MTV music festival at the Ricoh Arena.

MTV Crashes Coventry is set to attract huge crowds for a weekend of live music on May 27 and 28.

Seven groups of students, all studying Marketing with Events Management BA(Hons) at UCB, worked together over a six week period to produce their own marketing plan for the event.

Two groups were then selected to put their plans into practice during the build-up to the festival. 

Student Grace Morton, who was on a winning team, said: “A lot of our plans still need development over the next week or so, which will be another great experience. We’d ask people to keep an eye out on social media and on the streets, and to get involved.”

UCB marketing lecturer Gillian McCurdy said it was an invaluable opportunity for students to work on a live event. She added: “They have had to develop a fully-integrated marketing plan, where they’ve had to evaluate the music industry and the demographics of the city before developing creative concepts. They’ve also had to think about what they would do across different channels, such as PR, digital media and advertising, all on a £500 budget.”

Maggie King, marketing manager at the Ricoh Arena, said project was a result of a growing partnership between the music venue and UCB. She added: “These students want a career in marketing and events, so we’re delighted to be able to help them out. Not only is it good hands-on experience, it is something they can add to their CV which will help them to get a foot on the career ladder.”

For more information about MTV Crashes Coventry, visit www.mtv.co.uk/mtv-crashes-coventry.