Showcasing Talent, Shaping Futures: Taylor’s Event Students Make Their Mark at EventXpo and MBEA 2025

From 7 to 9 August 2025, students from the Bachelor of International Events Management programme, School of Hospitality, Tourism & Events (SHTE), demonstrated their professionalism and industry readiness at two prestigious platforms held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC): EventXpo 2025 and the 3rd Malaysia Business Events Awards (MBEA) 2025. Organised in collaboration with the Malaysian Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (MACEOS), these events provided an invaluable opportunity for students to apply classroom learning in real-world settings while being assessed for their Events Operations module.

At EventXpo 2025, 64 students from the International Events Management and Mass Communication (PR & Event) programmes undertook diverse responsibilities, including emceeing, registration, buyer and visitor promotion, public relations, communications, sales, marketing, and social media content creation. With over 90 exhibitors, three state pavilions, and international participation from Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Singapore, the event offered students a unique platform to experience the scale and complexity of managing an international exhibition. Guided by module leader Ms. Dhiya Hikmahana Abdul Razak, the experience strengthened their skills in communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and stakeholder engagement, hallmarks of successful event professionals.

Running in parallel, the Malaysia Business Events Awards (MBEA) 2025 on 7 August honoured excellence in the business events sector, with special recognition for student-led projects. Taylor’s students achieved notable success:

• The Live Event Project Team, supervised by Dr. Khairiah Ismail, emerged as the Winner in the Student Organised Event Category for their Hype-Lah Charity Event, organised in collaboration with ChildAidAsia Malaysia to support underprivileged children’s artistic development. Project Leader Yap Shuen Ting prepared the award submission, with Maryam Shaufa representing the team during the award presentation.

• Two additional projects received Merit Awards: HEX Talk 2024: Transforming the Entertainment Event Horizon – Embracing Global Dynamics, supervised by Ms. Dhiya Hikmahana and represented by Nsimire Vwikalo Nissi; and Sake Symphony: A Tasting Journey, supervised by Mr. Ch’ng Chor Ban and represented by Jadon Lim Wenxhuan.

These accomplishments reflect the strong synergy between academia and industry in preparing future leaders for the events sector. By embedding experiential learning within its curriculum, SHTE continues to nurture graduates who are globally competitive, industry-ready, and equipped to deliver impactful events on both local and international stages.