The Event Marketing class is available in the second semester as an elective course for many MSc students. The class professor, Pierre Oudine, has impressive experience in the events industry, he is currently associate director of Step Stone- Raising Stones Events, and is able to provide students with relevant advice.

With an elective course, a Master of Science student can define their specific area of interest, develop new skills and add more value to their CVs / resumes.

The Event Marketing class proves to be a great base and a good overview of the events industry.

“What I liked about the course specifically was that the professor was an expert in the field in which he is teaching. His experience and personal advice enhanced my learning”, Nathalie Dufoulon, an MSc Strategic Tourism Management student, explained.

Pierre Oudine is a founder and associate director of Step Stone- Raising Stones Events a company located in the heart of the French Riviera, between Nice and Cannes.

The French Riviera is one of the world’s leading business tourism destinations (the second in France after Paris), which makes it an all-year-round hub for professional and corporate events. There are well-known venues in Cannes, Nice and Monaco and professional event management services throughout the region. The convention bureau website, www.frenchriviera-cb.com lists 62 destination management companies (DMCs) in the region.
 
In class, Professor Oudine gave his students a practical project to work on. Students had to prepare an events offer (RFP- request for proposal) for a client coming from England. Students were randomly divided into groups of four or five and were given the following event to manage:

- 20 people (couples) +  2 managers coming from England
- want to have an event in the back country of Nice and with the    themes “Magic”, “Feng Shui” and “Green”
- find accommodation
- organize activities
- 3 days, 2 nights (early June or late September)
- budget

The students had to write a written report (RFP) and make a video and provide the professor with a video link. A week after the deadline, the professor gave detailed feedback to each group: what was good and what could have been done better.

Benjaman Salama, an MSc Tourism student, explained: “I have enjoyed the experience of working on the actual events project. I went to the Hi Hotel in Nice to get information about the hotel and to negotiate a group price. This event project gave us practice working as a team. Other team members were responsible for the different parts of the project such as activities for the clients but since the project had to be coordinated, effective team-working was essential.”


Talking about his company, Oudine explains: “Our philosophy is not only to deliver high-quality services with innovative pricing systems, but moreover to support our clients and partners in realizing unique and unforgettable business events with passion, creativity and invaluable personal investment.”

Step Stone- Raising Stones Events offers a variety of services such as: events consulting, venue finding, meetings & seminars, incentives, congresses, evening receptions, product launches etc.

Before founding Step Stone- Raising Stones Events, Pierre Oudine was business development director of the LSO International Group for ten years. He was also a board member of the National French Committee for Business Travel (CFTAR/ATOUT France, formerly Maison de la France). Having a strong orientation to sustainability and environment protection, Mr. Oudine was involved in environmental programs like the "Energy Efficiency Global Forum" and projects coordinated by the Prince Albert II Monaco Foundation.