AUS event management workshop delegates
Australian University Sport (AUS) representatives Donna Spethman, national programs manager, and Martin Doulton, AUS board director travelled to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in April to facilitate an event management workshop. The workshop, an initiative of AUS, aimed to provide PNG students and tertiary education sport representatives with information to assist in preparing for large events such as the PNG University Games.
The two day workshop covered topics including team management, club development and event management.
The focus of this first day was on the five phases of event delivery: initiation, planning, implementation, delivery and shut down. The presenters drew from their vast event management experience to show that these phases can be quite different depending on the nature of the event.
The second day included a practical session in risk management and enabled the group to see first hand the risks associated with events. To illustrate, all the workshop participants took part in a boomerang throwing competition, which gave them the opportunity to not only learn how to throw a boomerang (a first for most) but to carry out a risk assessment at the same time. Ms Spethman and Mr Doulton offered the workshop participants valuable insight into team management, including how to prepare and organise a team to travel away to events.
Ms Spethman was excited to see how eager the workshop participants were to increase their knowledge. “It was great to be able to come to PNG and meet the workshop participants, who are all working hard to deliver great events to PNG university students. As well as building relationships, any opportunities to share information can only improve the standards of university sport in terms of event delivery.”
President of the PNG University Sports Association, Ms Molly Geno says that the workshop is the talk of the university. “Everyone is talking about it and excited that they attended this workshop and will implement what they have learnt. It has boosted joint work in the field of ideological and cultural diversity through the exchange of ideas, experiences and projects on games themes: health promotion, education and capacity building, community development, anti-discrimination and social integration”.
The timing of the workshop was ideal with the 2010 PNG University Games coming up from 28 June to 1 July. PNG will also host the Pacific Games in 2015.
AUS would like to thank the attendees for their time and dedication to the workshop. All showed enthusiasm and a yearning to learn. Thanks also to PNG Uni Tech and OUSA for supporting this initiative.
(Source: Sarah Wordsworth, AUS Media & Marketing Coordinator)
Martin Doulton & Donna Spethman travelling PNG style
AUS Board Member Martin Doulton with workshop delegates