The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) will soon begin its third round of industry-academia collaboration that is designed to bring real-life applications in the events industry into the classroom.
For a full trimester, starting this September and ending December, students taking the Events and Entertainment specialisation under the Hospitality and Tourism Management Programme will get to learn from one events professional through a three-hour lesson that is aligned with SIT’s module requirements.
Associate professor of SIT, Eunice Eunjung Yoo, said the first two editions of the industry-academia collaboration, which was initiated in 2025, had earned the support and participation of 32 industry professionals, whose expertise spanned events financing to event technology.
Some of these “professors for a day” included Kerry Lau, head of marketing at Oracle; Ong Wee Min, vice president of sales and MICE at Marina Bay Sands; Sam Lay, director, National Arts Council; and Nancy Tan, managing director at Ace:Daytons Direct.
Yoo, who is a member of the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers’ Executive Committee, works closely with industry professionals to design lessons that capture both academic and industry requirements, allowing students to be better prepared for the industry upon graduation.
“The lived experiences of these events veterans provide valuable learning points for our students,” Yoo stated.
As many of the industry experts who participated in the first two editions remain enthusiastic about contributing to talent development, Yoo said she would look at the possibility of inviting some of them back to support the next trimester.
Besides having industry professionals stepping in as lecturers, SIT also collaborates with industry players on projects that put students’ events management skills to the test.
One such project involves the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), where students are tasked to write an event proposal that is then judged by PCMA executives.
In another project, students participated in the academic research component of a JWC and Singapore Tourism Board-led Destination Development Model pilot, which seeks to connect business events with wider policy outcomes. They explored potential datasets and indicators that could strengthen the model, and selected participants were given a chance to attend IMEX 2026 in Frankfurt where the DDM was launched.
Additionally, SIT students benefit from internship opportunities with various industry organisations. Yoo shared that SIT students are highly regarded by companies that participate in SIT’s internship programmes.
Yoo believes that such industry-academia collaboration ultimately benefits the events industry, ensuring continued access to young and committed talents.
She noted that when students interact closely with events professionals, they gain a deeper understanding of the scope of business events and are encouraged to build a fulfilling career in the industry.
“Students realise that business events entail more than just conferences or meetings, and that the profession touches something much bigger. They will also learn how destinations have to work with the industry to attract international events, and discover the kind of potential career paths they could take,” said Yoo.
