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Event students power Australian Festival Industry Conference
TAFE Queensland event management students gained hands-on industry experience recently, supporting the prestigious Australian Festival Industry Conference (AFIC) in Brisbane.
The two-day conference brought together festival professionals from across the country, representing music, arts and culture, food and drink, ideas, and sporting festivals.
The students assisted in delivering the event and were also invited to attend keynote sessions, panel discussions, and networking events, connecting with some of the industry’s most influential leaders.
“It was an invaluable experience for our students to gain real-world experience - you really can’t get much more authentic than this,” said Antoinette Adams, Senior Events Teacher, TAFE Queensland.
“They learnt from and networked with CEOs and event producers from festivals such as the Deni Ute Muster, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Festival of Voices, Gympie Muster, and government representatives and industry professionals from across the sector.”
One of the highlights was hearing from keynote speaker Christopher Breedlove, Director of Civic Activations at the Burning Man Project, who presented live from Nevada.
Students also supported behind the scenes to ensure the conference ran smoothly, observing how some of Australia’s most successful festivals are managed.
AFIC Founder and Event Director Carlina Ericson praised the students for their professionalism and teamwork.
“I wanted to say a special thank you to all the students who helped last week - they were all terrific!”
“They were switched on, smart, showed great initiative, and worked well together. They made the event seamless, and I’d happily be a referee for any of them.”
The Diploma of Event Management (SIT50322) is an award-winning program designed to prepare students for exciting careers in the fast-paced events industry.
Delivered by highly experienced professionals, the course blends hands-on practical training with theory and access to state-of-the-art facilities using the latest industry software.
Students gain leadership, people management, marketing, creative collaboration, and budgeting skills - preparing them for roles as conference or venue coordinators, event or exhibition managers, or to continue with further study.
By supporting real-world events like AFIC, students graduate with the practical knowledge, skills and industry networks that set them apart when entering the workforce.