Bournemouth University Retail Management Placement Experience for SymphonyIRI Insight Analyst:

Posted . Filed under News, Student Experience.

As well as sharing news with you from the School of Tourism, we also like to share student experiences. Today’s blog comes from Tom Grigoleit who is on his placement year from the Retail Management degree. Below, Tom shares his experiences from his placement:

’During my 2nd year at university I was fortunate enough to be selected for the SymphonyIRI Insight Analyst placement within the Retail Department. Having no preconceptions of a Market Research placement year, I had no idea what the job entailed and how the business worked at SymphonyIRI. At the beginning of the placement year it was a massive culture shock compared to working part-time at Sainsbury’s (my only prior job experience) and the amount to learn was never ending! To put it in simple terms, SymphonyIRI purchase EPOS data from retailers to then analyse and create client-friendly solutions.

 I was positioned as an Insight Analyst working on the Asda account, providing pricing analysis against their competitors. With the emphasis of running reports mainly in Microsoft Excel and Access, I soon became proficient in both applications. On a daily basis I was managing Asda’s expectations and developing the relationship between SymphonyIRI and the Pricing team at Asda.

 Being a Retail Management student, I started a weekly Retail newsletter that went out to 200 UK employees which covered all the top news from the Retail industry. Now, it is shared with the biggest names in FMCG such as P&G, Unilever, Beiersdorf, Boots, Asda and Nestle, which is distributed to over 1,000 business professionals across the industry. This has widely benefitted our business by directly developing relationships with our clients across the UK operations.

 Having mastered my reporting deliverables, I wished to pursue further challenges. Building relationships internally enabled me to have the incredible opportunity of presenting to the Customer and Marketing Insight team at Alliance Boots head office in Nottingham. I presented to them on the topic of ‘UK Grocery insight and Multi-Channel retailing’. My presentation received strong feedback which I greatly appreciated, but the experience of being in a professional environment under those circumstances was invaluable to my professional development.

 I then had the opportunity to go to Asda Head Office in Leeds to lead several meetings on our processes and how we can streamline our services to Asda. The meetings again were fantastic experiences and the discussions had positive outcomes. Having co-ordinated projects which required liaising with both colleagues and Asda throughout the year, this was a great opportunity to discuss the queries that needed clearing up.

 Overall, my placement experience was totally different to anyone else’s, but the experience’s I’ve had were incredible for my future development, and I thank SymphonyIRI for such a great placement year.’

Catherine Stanley – BSc Sports Management Placement Experience at Octagon Athletes & Personalities

Posted . Filed under News, Student Experience.

We have been beginning to share with you news from our students who undertook a placement year this year. Today we share Catherine Stanley’s experience of working at Octagon Athletes & Personalities:

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from a placement, but when I was offered a job working for the global leaders in Sport’s Marketing and Management, I couldn’t turn it down!

Although my placement was unpaid (even expenses weren’t covered), my experience has been incredible, and I can enter my final year of University knowing that I have career options when I graduate.

As an intern at Octagon, I was given the responsibility of a Client Manager, which allowed me to work one on one with athletes and sports personalities, managing their day to day media requests, as well as seeking new sponsorship and endorsement deals. I worked with sportsmen and women from a variety of sports including football, tennis, cricket, swimming, boxing and athletics. Attending athlete appearance days and photo-shoots were common, and it was a great chance to get out of the office and experience something different.

As my skills and confidence developed, I was given the opportunity to work with a number of brands, helping them to activate sponsorship of sportsmen and women. On one occasion, I was asked to contract a number of legendary footballers for a television advert and attend the filming as the representative from Octagon.

During the Wimbledon Champions 2012, my role was to help manage the hospitality programme that we run for an external company. I was given an access all areas pass, which meant I could enjoy the Tennis whilst working! We hosted a number of parties in the evenings for players and sponsors, including Pam Shriver’s 50th Birthday, which was a real honour to be involved in.

Soon after Wimbledon came the Olympics. As some of our athletes were competing, my role was to help arrange media appearances, which I was able to attend at various Olympic venues. To be involved in the Olympics was truly amazing, and to have experienced the Olympics from an Athlete’s perspective was even more incredible.

Out of everything that has happened this year I have two highlights.

  1. Meeting Frank Lampard at a Sport Relief filming day
  2. Running at the Olympic stadium, in the first ever 4x100m relay race

My advice to anybody seeking a placement would be to go for the experience and to take every opportunity given to you, regardless of how big or small it may seem – you never know where things might lead!

The placement is only one year, and it is the most important year of University, as it creates the foundations of your career.”

PhD Experiment Help Needed:

Posted . Filed under Research.

Are you new to the area? One of our PhD students is running an experiment on people who are new to an area and is looking for people to take part. See below for the invitation:

I would like to invite you to participate in a mobile experiment we are running. We are trying to find out how the latest smartphone technologies can help travelers explore a new place in a more easy and natural way.

During the study I will ask you to take a short walk with me in the city centre (similar to a guided tour), visiting some key attractions and sights. I will ask you to look at the screen of a smartphone. Afterwards, we will sit down for coffee/tea and we will discuss your experience. 

This will take approx. one and a half hours and you will be given £10 as a recompense for your efforts.

You do NOT need to prepare anything in advance, have experience with smartphones or know how they work. The study is anonymous and the data will be confidential (I will not report your name or personal information in my final thesis).

I am completely flexible with the dates and time and we can run this whenever it is comfortable for you between 11th September – 27th September. 

If you would like to take part just send me a short message on 

– e-mail: zyovcheva@bournemouth.ac.uk 

– facebook: Zornitza Yovcheva 

– mobile: +44 (0) 7411 716045

– skype: z.yovcheva

International Conference on Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability: Profile on Keynote Speaker Leigh Hudson, Environmental Affairs Manager for British Airways

Posted . Filed under Guest speakers, News.

With only one day remaining until the International Conference on Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability takes place, we look at our final Keynote speaker, Leigh Hudson from British Airways.

Leigh Hudson is the Environmental Affairs Manager for British Airways. Leigh currently leads British Airways carbon management portfolio including an extensive biofuels programme, as well as carbon accounting and efficiency initiatives.

She also oversees the company’s One Destination Carbon Fund, which aims to increase customers’ awareness of climate change by investing in small-scale community projects to install renewable energy.

She holds an MSc in Corporate Environmental Management from the University of Surrey. A Chartered Chemist, Leigh has extensive experience of environmental management within multinational corporations.

For more information on the conference please visit http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/tourism/news-and-events/events/conferences/climate-change-2012.html

International Conference on Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability: Profile on Keynote Speaker Paul Peeters from NHTV Breda University of Applied Science

Posted . Filed under Guest speakers, News.

As we begin the final countdown to the International Conference on Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability, held at Bournemouth University, we take a look a Keynote Speaker Paul Peeters.

Paul Peeters is an associate professor at the NHTV Breda University of Applied Science, the Netherlands, and the head of the Centre for Sustainable Tourism & Transport since 2003.

He was educated as an aircraft engineer. His current work concentrates on the impacts of tourism and tourism transport on climate change and his publications cover topics like technological development of aircraft fuel efficiency, the carbon footprint analysis, eco-efficiency of tourism, and long term scenarios for tourism.

More information can be found on the NHTV Breda website.

For more information on the conference please visit http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/tourism/news-and-events/events/conferences/climate-change-2012.html

International Conference on Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability: Profile on Keynote Speaker Jane Ashton Director of Group Sustainable Development, TUI Travel PLC

Posted . Filed under Guest speakers, News, Research.

With a week to go until the International Conference on Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability, organised by Dr Vijay Reddy and Dean of the School of Tourism Dr Keith Wilkes, we highlight another one of the Keynote speakers for the conference.

Jane Ashton is the Director of Group Sustainable Development, TUI Travel PLC. Jane heads up the development of policy and processes to steer TUI Travel PLC towards becoming a more sustainable business.

She also works with industry peers, international organisations, NGOs and Governments to develop strategies for sustainable tourism.

Jane worked for specialist tour operators in overseas, marketing and product manager roles before joining First Choice Holidays PLC in the 1990s where her roles included Brand Manager Sovereign, Manager Long-Haul, and Product Development Manager.

Since 2002 she has pioneered sustainable tourism, becoming Head of Sustainable Development, TUI Travel PLC, in 2008, and, since March 2011, Director of Group Sustainable Development.

Jane has a degree from Bristol University, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Business from Cambridge University Programme for Industry.

For more information on the conference please visit http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/tourism/news-and-events/events/conferences/climate-change-2012.html

Bournemouth University Hospitality Management Student Placement Experience as part of the Royal Household

Posted . Filed under News, Student Experience.

As well as sharing news from the School and students, we also like to share our student experiences with you.

 Hospitality Management student, Suzanna Jordan shares her experiences of her placement year as part of the Royal Household.

 “From the start I sought out placements in hotels, I never imagined where I would end up. One of the many good things about work placements is discovering your true abilities and what you enjoy or indeed do not enjoy about industry. With a CV set to join the buzz of a hotel (of which I have enjoyed in the past) I went on the hunt for a placement that would accept me. The next few stages resulted in low morale only to be resolved in a spurt of confidence that led me to join the ranks of the Royal Household. And what an experience it has proven to be.

 The placement, a year in total was split in two halves aimed at ensuring I got to see a broad scope of hospitality within the household. The first as a Housemaid in housekeeping (much like in a hotel) and the second as a Footman (like a butler but you also ride the back of the carriages). My responsibilities ranged from maiding ladies or valeting gentlemen of HM The Queen’s guests and family. Looking after them personally reminded me how much I enjoy meeting and greeting guests making them feel comfortable and at ease on their visit. As a Footman I handled priceless china and decorated dining tables with silver and guilt from the royal collection. There was never a dull day, each one offered a challenge or memorable moment to be part of the team. My new colleagues were friendly and encouraging it felt like I had moved from home to a home. Together as members of the Masters Department we also traveled with the Queen to her different residences supporting her from London to a cozy Sandringham Christmas and her family home of Balmoral Castle in the Scottish highlands.

 Reflecting back it has been an exciting year to be in the Royal household I have worked on five garden parties, fifteen investitures, a state banquet, a world sovereigns’ lunch, Royal Ascot, receptions, private dinners, charity galas, learnt Ceilidh Scottish dancing for the Ghillies Ball, Olympic receptions and not to mention the Jubilee celebrations. It has been a pleasure working for the Queen who possesses a rare leadership quality of taking a genuine interest in her staff and their roles. This year has helped in more ways than one realize my capability and opened up the hospitality industry to me “

 For more information on the Hospitality Management degree at Bournemouth University please visit our website

International Conference on Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability: Profile on Keynote Speaker Melody Ocloo, UNESCO MAB

Posted . Filed under Guest speakers, News.

In just over a week, Bournemouth University will be host to the International Conference on Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability. Today we profile Melody Ocloo from UNESCO MAB and a keynote speaker at the conference.

Prior to joining UNESCO in 2009, Melody worked in the Climate Change Unit of the Forestry Commission of Ghana.

In UNESCO she is with the Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences and the Man and the Biosphere Programme.

Melody works mostly with Biosphere Reserves in Africa and Asia on issues related to sustainable development, poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation. Her undergraduate education was at the University of Ghana Legon where she graduated with a Degree in Zoology in 2004.

She went on to the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies to do a Masters in Environmental Management.

For more information on the conference please visit http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/tourism/news-and-events/events/conferences/climate-change-2012.html

International Conference on Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability: Profile on Keynote Speaker Dr Stephan Harrison, Associate Professor of Quaternary Science at Exeter University and a Senior Research Associate at Oxford University Centre for the Environment

Posted . Filed under Guest speakers, News, Research.

 

On the 13th-14th September, Bournemouth University will be host to the International Conference on Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability. Today we highlight keynote speaker Dr Stephan Harrison.

Dr Stephan Harrison is Associate Professor of Quaternary Science at Exeter University and a Senior Research Associate at Oxford University Centre for the Environment.

He has 25 years research experience on mountain responses to climate change in Patagonia and Asia.

He advises the UK Health and Safety Executive on climate changes risks for nuclear sites in the UK.

He has also advised, UK, US, Indian, Georgian, Chilean and Romanian Governmental organisations on climate change adaptation and impacts. More information can be found on the University of Exeter Geography website.

For more information on the conference please visit http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/tourism/news-and-events/events/conferences/climate-change-2012.html

Bournemouth University Retail Management Student Placement Experience at Gatwick Airport:

Posted . Filed under Student Experience.

 As part of the Retail Management degree, students are required to undertake a 40 week placement. Our students have undertaken a wide variety of roles in the past years with big brands often choosing Bournemouth University Students for positions.

One of our students, Helen Hyland, is currently been on placement this year at Gatwick Airport. Helen’s position was the Business Development Assistant within the Retail Team. She was the first student in the role and has had a very successful year. Gatwick Airport have already recruited another Bournemouth University Retail Management student to take over the placement when she leaves.

 Helen has shared a brief insight into her role and her year with Gatwick Airport:

 “The Retail team form part of the Commercial team at Gatwick, whose objective is to maximize income, deliver products and services that are value for money, improve our passenger experience and enhance Gatwick Airport’s reputation.

To align with Commercial’s strategy, the Retail team work to secure new brands to help rrevolutionize the airport’s commercial offering. The Retail team continuously review the 250,000sq ft of retail space to ensure it satisfies the passengers’ needs and are in line with Gatwick’s aspirations.

 My placement at Gatwick was incredibly varied and I have been involved in projects to assist in the improvement of logistics, marketing and e-commerce, as well as continually analysing the performance and profitability of our existing retailers.

I was also given the responsibility to manage my own accounts. This would involve approaching potential brands and liaising with them to discuss business opportunities, drafting legal documents, hosting site visits and analysing the brands financial and design proposals before negotiating the contract with them.

 As Gatwick has undergone a considerable amount of redevelopment in the past few years, with its £1.2billion investment since 2009, it has provided me with opportunities to be involved in future planning, the churn of existing retailers and the delivery of new units, such as Jamie Oliver’s brands, ‘Jamie’s Italian’ and ‘Union Jacks’.

Before Jamie’s opened, I was required to work with and assist various members of Jamie’s team, ranging from members of the PR to Operational team, in the opening of their first Airport restaurant and continued to assist them from then on.

 It has been an invaluable experience at Gatwick where I have strengthened previous weaknesses over time and have had plenty of opportunity to put theory into practice.”

 For more information on the Retail Management degree at Bournemouth University please see here