Master of Commerce Marketing students from the Australian School of Business have staged a series of charitable events, raising over $26,000 for the Ted Noffs Foundation.
As part of the Events Management and Marketing course, students organised several events to raise money and awareness of the Ted Noffs Foundation, a charity that provides services for young people and their families affected by drug and alcohol related trauma.
Events organised by the students included a Masquerade Ball, a one-day outdoor adventure to the Glenworth valley, a variety show, Thai BBQ lunch, and an interactive children’s play.
Tracey Firth, a lecturer from the School of Marketing, said the hands-on- experience was complimentary to what was taught in the classroom. “The students were responsible for all aspects of the planning and staging of these events including conceptualisation, budgeting, sponsorship, marketing and PR. To create awareness of the events students distributed flyers and brochures, and created web pages via social networking sites such as Facebook.
“By staging charity events students gain an insight into the challenges associated with being an event manager and organising successful events. At the same time they gain the satisfaction of raising money for a worthy cause. All of the events have been first class in terms of their quality and professionalism. One group who organised the Masquerade Ball raised $9552, a phenomenal achievement given the time and budget constraints associated with this assignment,” said Tracey.
The students successfully achieved their event objectives to increase awareness of the Ted Noffs Foundation and to raise money for the charity. “The event outcomes have certainly surpassed my expectations with the class raising a total of $26,470 for the Ted Noffs Foundation. The events not only effectively communicate the values and services of the Ted Noffs Foundation but also engaged the wider community, from primary school students, university students, business professionals, to the general public,” said Tracey.
Matt Noffs, Assistant CEO of the Ted Noffs Foundation, said the marketing students with the help of Tracey Firth, put together a wonderful initiative. “Not only was the money raised an impressive amount for a first attempt at a fundraising event, but the ideas behind the events show the kind of innovation sought after not only in the marketing and PR sector but also the social marketing and charity sector. We are incredibly grateful for their hard work.”