The Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) has announced an historic partnership with the University of Lincoln to support and provide resources for undergraduates studying Design for Exhibition & Museums, within the university’s School of Architecture & Design.

The association will be offering special student ESSA memberships, giving students the opportunity to attend the ESSA conference, working groups and other events and also access all ESSA’s online resources. ESSA and its members will also be offering the students advice, content and opportunities for furthering their careers in the event and exhibition industry.

Andrew Harrison, ESSA director, explained the association’s reasoning behind this initiative, “We’re aware of the difficulty recruiting new talent into the industry, and we wanted to inspire and enable students already focused on events and exhibitions, by providing them with the resources and opportunities to help them kick-start their careers in the industry.”

Harrison concluded “We’re asking our members to consider offering internships to students, and visit the University of Lincoln to give presentations, workshops and seminars, sharing real-world industry insight with them.”

Elana Van Der Wath, programme leader for the Design for Exhibitions and Museums course, explained the value of the partnership to the university, saying “As the only undergraduate degree course in the UK covering the full spectrum of exhibition design, we are very pleased to expand our industry connections by partnering with ESSA. This partnership offers excellent networking prospects for our students, and a chance to engage with a wide array of industry specialists. We look forward to working with ESSA and its members to enrich our current academic offering and enhance the employability of our graduates.”