School to showcase KTP expertise at business breakfast

Posted . Filed under News.

School of TourismThe School of Tourism will be hosting a breakfast event for companies from across the region to find out how they can access the University’s specialist expertise to boost their business.

The School, which specialises in hospitality, nutrition, events, leisure, retail and marketing, will host the event from 8.30am to 10.30am on Wednesday 7 June at Poole House, Fern Barrow, Bournemouth.

At the free business breakfast, which will have a particular focus on the food and drink sector, guests will be able to find out how Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) with BU can help their business grow and develop.

KTPs are government-funded programmes in which graduates‚ supported by University experts‚ deliver strategic or tactical business projects.

Representatives from Dorset Cereals will be revealing how working with BU experts enabled them to increase their turnover, market share and brand penetration, thereby enabling them to become the joint brand leader in the UK for muesli sales.

BU Knowledge Transfer Manager Dr Martyn Polkinghorne said: “The University greatly values its strong relationships with local and regional business organisations. Our recent work with Dorset Cereals is a prime example of how the University can inject new knowledge, theories and processes that enable business organisations to take a significant step forward. In fact in the case of Dorset Cereals we supported them to quadruple their turnover following co-ordinated support for both their marketing and production activities..

“Businesses attending this free breakfast event will be able to learn from Dorset Cereals about their experience of working with BU, and about current funding opportunities to support similar innovative projects that may suit their own organisation.”

For more details and to book your place at this event please visit: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/free-business-breakfast

Lottery funding boost for sport at Bournemouth University

Posted . Filed under Student Experience.

Students at Bournemouth University are being urged to give sport another go after a project secured £266,338 in National Lottery funding from Sport England.

BU’s Free Your Fitness project is being backed by Sport England’s £10 million Active Universities fund to get more university students playing sport.

Bournemouth University students playing volleyball on Bournemouth beach

Bournemouth University students playing volleyball on Bournemouth beach

Forty other projects are part of the initiative, which part of the mass participation legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Free Your Fitness will give students access to a wide range of new and refreshed sports activities at a variety of locations across the community. Students will be offered a membership deal across a range of facilities and will also be offered discounted rates in return for volunteering within community sport. They will also be encouraged to gain qualifications in coaching and officiating, allowing them to manage their own activities and events.

The project was developed after research found a lack of time, cost and travel to be the main barriers to participation. By creating a programme of sports and activities that are low cost, accessible and within a reasonable travel distance, Free Your Fitness aims to get hundreds more students playing sport.

Steve Jones, Community, Culture & Sport Manager at BU said: “The funding is great news for the University as it will help us encourage more students to discover the long-term enjoyment of regular sport participation. It further strengthens our local and regional partnerships so that we can provide improved access to a range of facilities and sports close to where students live and study.  sportBU staff are now eagerly looking forward to starting the project.”

The Active Universities projects will give tens of thousands of students across the country the chance to try out a new sport, or get back into one they’ve tried before.

Sport England’s Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said: “Young adults who are still playing sport when they leave university are likely to stick with it for life, so this is a good investment in the future. These projects have been chosen because they really listened to what students wanted, so we are confident they will succeed in increasing participation.”

President of the Student Union Toby Horner said: “This is an extremely positive leap forward for Sport at BU and a step towards promoting it as part of a healthy lifestyle. Targeting students who may currently perceive sport as an undesirable choice is an exciting prospect, as is promoting the wider benefits that result from schemes such as this. Most importantly, this is recognition that sport really can be, and should be, for all.”

For more information about BU’s Free Your Fitness campaign please contact Stephen Jones on 01202 961814.

An Audience with Visiting Fellow John Kent

Posted . Filed under Guest speakers.

John Kent

Tourism entrepreneur John Kent is visiting Bournemouth University on Wednesday 23 March

When: 4pm-6pm, Wednesday 23 March

Where: KG01, Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus, Bournemouth University

One of the travel industry’s most innovative and respected entrepreneurs, John Kent, will be visiting Bournemouth University as part of our University Lecture Series.

As CEO of YouTravel.com and founder of Aquis Hotels and Resorts, John has built up a thriving travel empire within the online tourism sector. His pioneering use of technology has revolutionised the package holiday industry for the UK travel market, and his continued contribution to educational institutions places him firmly at the cutting-edge of tourism innovation and research.

As well as talking about the latest tourism innovations, John will be answering questions from the audience on a wide range of subjects, including entrepreneurism, marketing and technology. And you can send your questions in advance to: tourism@bournemouth.ac.uk

To book your free seat click here: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/lectures/professor/john-kent.html

School of Tourism academics visit University of Central Florida

Posted . Filed under Research.

Alan Fyall

Professor Alan Fyall talks to academics at the University of Central Florida. Image: UCF

Professor Alan Fyall and Dr Peter Lugosi from BU’s School of Tourism spent five days at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida.

They discussed future research in the areas of tourism, hospitality, leisure and events, and the development of academic co-operative programmes such as student exchange, study abroad and faculty exchange.

More details here: http://today.ucf.edu/british-professors-reach-out-to-rosen-college-2/