2018 IFEA Hall of Fame Inductee William O’Toole to Teach at ICMS

Event management authority William (Bill) O’Toole has travelled the globe teaching and training over the course of an illustrious career which has now brought him to the International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS).

O’Toole was inducted into the 2018 The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) Hall of Fame at a ceremony in the United States this month (October). O’Toole, CFEE, is an Events Development Specialist and principal of Event Project Management System, Pty., Ltd. in Bondi Beach, NSW, Australia.

“Known as the association’s most prestigious honor, the IFEA Hall of Fame recognises those outstanding individuals who, through their exceptional work and achievements, have made a significant contribution to the Festivals and Events Industry and a profound difference in the communities they serve,” an IFEA statement read.

“Induction into the Hall of Fame is considered the highest of industry honors.”

O’Toole will be teaching the ICMS Event Management Masters course and developing and refining the curriculum in the ICMS Event Management department at the ICMS campus located in Northern Beaches, NSW, Sydney.

He has previously experienced ICMS’ commitment to career-focused education when he attended the ICMS-hosted Event Educators’ Forum in 2004, the first of its kind in the world to align the academic research, teaching and the practical side of events management.

“I have always admired ICMS. … The close ties to the event industry makes ICMS outstanding in the tertiary sector. Their commitment to assisting students to obtain work has always impressed me.”

O’Toole has written or co-authored several textbooks, roundly acknowledged as seminal texts in the industry, and which have been translated into five languages. The textbooks – Festival and Special Events Management (1999); Event Project Management (2001); Events Feasibility; from Strategy to Operations (2010); and Crowd Management: Security, Risk and Health (expected 2019) – provide the foundation for higher education institutions and professional training courses around the world. O’Toole is also currently an event management trainer for the United Nations, and has been involved in competency development in the events field around the world. This includes teaching and professional development training in many countries, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Africa, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.

“It is an honour to have someone of Bill’s global experience and stature work with us here at ICMS as we develop our events management curriculum further into a world class qualification,” ICMS CEO and President Dr Dominic Szambowski said.

“Actually, Bill helped ICMS get the inaugural bachelor program off the ground after the Olympics in Sydney and we have just hit the heights from those days.  We are now one of the oldest, most established programs in Australia and our career-focus has always set us apart from the bigger universities. We look forward to hearing his insights into the industry and applying this here at ICMS to the benefit of staff and students, and we thank him for joining the team.”

William O’Toole’s Top Tips to a Successful Career in Events Management:

1. Acquire experience while you are learning. Volunteer for events.
2. Use your interests to differentiate yourself from others. If you like horse riding, look for events in that field. Your specialist knowledge, experience and passion will give you the edge and enable you to work the long hours often necessary for a successful event and career.
3. The theory is theory. It needs to be tested and refined with practice. Don’t assume that you know until you have tested what you know a number of times.
4. Read widely and gain new experiences. All of this is needed in events. By definition events are out of the ordinary and the wider your knowledge and experience the more you can create ‘out of the ordinary’.
5. Attitude is vital. It is hard to teach but keep in mind that although finding problems is important, suggesting solutions is more attractive.  A competent and pleasant attitude is fundamental in an industry that is people based.
6. Never be late. As they say if you are on time you are already 10 minutes late.
7. Ensure your teacher is also your mentor.

For more information on the ICMS Bachelor of Event Management, click here: https://www.icms.edu.au/course/bachelor-event-management