The objective of the course concerns mainly two levels:

• the level of the opportunity of the students to get to know something new, with a high indicator of active participation,
• The level of taking advantage of the previous knowledge, combined with a deeper cultivation, in connection with the professional field More specifically, the course has the following learning outcomes: the acquisition of knowledge on issues related to special event planning and tourism, the understanding of contemporary issues and concepts related to the organization of special events, the analysis and evaluation of the impacts on the host cities, the elaboration of proposals concerning the organization of special events.
• The aim of the course is the combination of issues of Urban Planning, Regional Planning and Development (i.e. the three basic directions of the Department) through a contemporary perspective. The geographic dimension of the course mainly concerns the medium and large cities.

• Knowledge

• • Understanding the role of special events in tourism, culture and local development
  • Critical understanding of the opportunities and threats associated with organizing major events
  • Understanding the impact of events on the organizing areas
  • Emphasis on the social and cultural dimension of special events
  • The role of special (and mega) events for place marketing and branding

• Skills

• • Field research (with questionnaires) in the context of investigating the economic and social dimension of special events
  • Research planning to assess the impact of special events
  • Predicting and evaluating the risks from the organization of special events

• Competences

• Assessing and investigating the impact of an event on the site

• Proposal to introduce a new event, depending on the characteristics of an area

• Development of cultural and tourist goods for a city through the process of organizing a special event

Taking into account the general competencies that the graduates should acquire (as listed in the Diploma Supplement) the course contributes to the acquisition of the following:

– Search, analyze and synthesize data and information, using the necessary technologies,

– Decision making,

– Team working,

– Working in an international and interdisciplinary environment,

– Project management and design

– Respect for diversity and multiculturalism

– Promotion of free, creative and inductive thinking

The contents of the course cover a wide spectrum of fields concerning the management and planning of special events. The course is structured as follows:

1. 1. 1. 1. Introduction to the subject. Study and research of special events
         2. Appearance and evolution of festivals
         3. Typology of special events. The case of mega events (opportunities and threats from the organization)
         4. Special events and city branding
         5. Assessment of the impacts of special and mega events in the host cities
         6. Methods to measure the financial impact of special events
         7. Special events and local development. Example from the international experience
         8. Major sports events and urban restructuring
         9. Organizational issues of special events and risk management
         10. Marketing of special events (PR, sponsors, etc)

Specified Evaluation Criteria

The topics of the papers are suggested through a specially formulated list of topics that cover contemporary issues and concepts related to the course. The authoring of the papers, which is monitored by the teachers throughout the semester, involves the analysis and synthesis of theoretical text, gathering diverse data, conducting field research in the area of inquiry, critically evaluating the plans and policies already applied and the formulation of specific recommendations based on the knowledge gained by the students participating in the course. Through the corrections of the work, the intermediate and final presentation, as well as the overall student participation in the lectures, teachers are able to evaluate their performance on the above individual learning objectives.

The assessment system is sufficient, clear and aware of the students, as it is analyzed in the outline of the course which is being distributed in the first lesson and posted in eclass.

All courses include an evaluation of the teachers, the educational process and the student assessment process. The evaluation process is carried out anonymously and electronically under the responsibility of the Secretariat and is completely transparent.

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