Senior Lecturer in Tourism and Events
I have been a Lecturer since 2011, and joined the University of Sunderland in 2014 teaching primarily events, tourism and hospitality. My PhD explored the festivalgoer experience at UK music festivals.
I am also interested in research surrounding service experiences, digital media communication, quality, communities, social inclusion, accessibility, and tourist behaviour at special interest events.
Teaching and supervision
I am currently programme leader for BA (Hons) Events Management.
I also teach on:
- BSc (Hons) International Tourism and Hospitality Management
- BSc (Hons) International Tourism and Hospitality Management (Top-Up)
I am module leader on the following modules:
- TLH109 Experiencing Events
- TLH110 Staging Events
- TLH318 Contemporary Issues in Events
- TLH346 Professional Development for the Service Sector
- TLH339 Service Quality
- CHTM30 Events Management Studies
I also supervise both undergraduate and master's major projects, and PhDs.
Research interests for potential research students
- Event studies and event management
- Service quality
- Social media and other digital media communication
- Consumer behaviour at events
- Motivations and experience
- Wellbeing
- Music festivals
- Alternative and niche events
- Social Inclusion and accessibility
Research
My PhD explored the festivalgoer experience at UK music festivals. I used a mixed method approach to develop an experience value model that examined the relationship between festivalgoer's sociodemographic, psychographic and behavioural preferences against what they valued in the festival experience.
I have also produced further research around the role and use of digital media communication within the music festival experience, co-creation and engagement, research methods at live events, and inclusion and accessibility.
Other research interests include tourist behaviour and experiences at special interest events, social media and digital technology at events, event communities and wellbeing, social inclusion, and accessibility.
- Event studies and event management
- Service quality, satisfaction, and experience
- Service operations, marketing
- Tourism and hospitality management
- Personal and professional development
- Music festivals and events
- Inclusion and accessibility