Events students do the double at national awards

Jo Gillespie, Maryam Shahid, Lexy Graham and Anna Paver are all summer graduates of Events Management at RGU having enjoyed a fruitful four-years at the University.

In 2024 the quartet were part of a cohort of students that won at The Scottish Event Awards in Edinburgh for their work on 2023’s Aberdeen Student Festival. It had raised over £3,000 for Aberdeen Cyrenians and was commended for having wider social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts for the local community.

Now, following a ceremony on Thursday 24 April, the same four have won again – picking up the Best Student-Led Event for 'A Fine Fair' which took place last April. The event was a huge success, featuring around 500 attendees, a calligraphy and charcuterie workshop and 45 stallholders, and raised over £8k for Erskine Veterans Charity. 

Following graduation, Lexy and Anna now work in industry while Jo and Maryam chose to stay at RGU and pursue a master’s in Project Management.

Speaking about her journey through RGU and award success, Jo Gillespie said: "Organising A Fine Fair was a huge milestone for us—it truly pushed us to apply everything we learned in our Events Management courses to a real-world project. Winning the Best Student Led Event award was an unforgettable moment, and seeing our work recognised alongside national-level events made it even more special. With the incredible support of our peers, we created something truly unique, and we are absolutely chuffed with the outcome!

“This experience taught us invaluable skills, from supplier relations and stakeholder coordination to team leadership, risk planning, and managing deadlines. It gave us a real taste of project management in action, and everything we learned has become the cornerstone of our MSc in Project Management.”

The success is further recognition for a course that continues to transform young students into confident, industry-ready graduates with an abundance of vital experience.

Rachael Ironside, Associate Professor at Aberdeen Business School, RGU, said: "We are incredibly proud of our students for being recognised not only once, but twice, at the Scottish Events Award for Best Student-led Event.

“The course challenges students through their live event modules to work with local communities and causes to weave their values and priorities into the event experience. These awards are a clear recognition of their dedication, hard-work and creativity, producing events in the final two years of their studies that have had real world impacts!".

On both her and Maryam staying on at the University, Jo added: “The transition felt natural, as we built on that foundation and applied our hands-on experience in a more structured, strategic way. Both our undergrad and postgrad journeys at RGU have been packed with real industry collaboration, which has not only shaped our skills but also made stepping into the professional world feel confident, capable, and genuinely exciting.”

This year’s Aberdeen Student Festival, organised by current stage three students, attracted scores of people to various murder-mystery themed events in the city.

In April, stage four students also organised ‘Kilts ‘n’ Canvas’ at Norwood Hotel to mark a celebration of Scottish culture. The group raised almost £2,000 for Erskine Veterans Charity.