Jewel & Esk lecturer, Kevin Scally explains the benefits to students, “This has been a great experience for all of the students.  Rather than a paper based exercise this project has a face and a real client.  It has given them practical experience of Event Management.  In pulling together their plan, each of the teams had to consider timing and management issues just as they would in a real working environment.”

Stuart Gray, Knockhill’s Events and Marketing Director comments, “In a sport that can be seen as exclusive, we are renowned as the friendly circuit with an open and inclusive attitude towards forms of motor sport.  Working with students is an extension of this and has been a great success.  We hope it won’t be a one off.  We are conscious that today’s students are the managers and directors of the future and we are interested in hearing from and engaging with them.”

The chance to work with Knockhill has certainly gone down well with students.  The winning team made up of Samantha Barnett (19) from Edinburgh, Katie Cunningham (20) from South Queensferry, Amy Fraser (19) from Dalkeith and Mary Steele (19) from Bonnyrigg, were enthusiastic about their experience.  Samantha spoke for the whole team, “It was great and we learnt a lot from it. Not just the practicalities of how to put together a marketing plan and present it but how to pull together and work as a team.  Making our presentation was pretty nerve wracking.  We had an audience of eight and apart from presentations in class it was our first experience of this sort.  But we did fine and it was fantastic to win the competition. Now we’re looking forward to our VIP tickets to the launch day and a chance to meet with the celebs there on the day.”