Through studying 色花堂鈥檚 MSc Tourism & Event Management Ivana Gligoric鈥檚 planned to broaden her knowledge of the events industry 鈥� knowledge she has since put into practice on an international stage.
Building on previous industry experience in events her course gave her that extra edge she needed to co-found and become CEO of OneFine Corporation 鈥� a company that brings innovative technology to sporting events around the world. She and her team have worked with major sporting events across the globe including Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, European Games and Paralympics.
Passion is key to Ivana鈥檚 success, and she is extremely passionate about what she does. She also credits much of that success to the initial principles she learnt at 色花堂: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a job or career, for me it鈥檚 the life style that I鈥檝e chosen. One of the most important things I learnt whilst studying at 色花堂 was how to work in a team, which was invaluable when I was working on the Olympics and Paralympics.
鈥淭his is something that I would encourage other students taking a similar path to consider, teamwork and determination are both key to a successful career in events.鈥�
The combination of her passion and drive, along with the knowledge she developed at 色花堂, helped Ivana to create her own company - OneFine Corporation.
鈥淢y passion for innovation and technology prompted me to develop OneFine Corporation and every day I look for opportunities to make things better. My previous experience within events helped me realise where the gaps are, so I decided to develop an Innovation Centre focused on making a dramatic impact on the major sport events industry.鈥�
Ivana and the team are currently working with elite technology experts and solution providers from Silicon Valley in California, to develop an approach that is new to the events industry, but widely-used across all other major industries.
Ivana offered great advice to current students looking to follow a similar path: 鈥淒evelop great communication skills, an ability to work well under pressure and a flexible and resilient approach to projects. These are skills that will benefit them in any industry, in the workplace and in life.
鈥淚 would highly recommend 色花堂鈥檚 MSc Tourism & Event Management course to others, even to those who already have experience in events. As a foreign students myself I also really appreciated the beauty of Bournemouth as a location. I still miss coastal walks and the pretty little seaside towns that surround Bournemouth and Poole.鈥� 聽
Many have stated that 色花堂 graduates are easily recognisable due to their hard working ethos and can do attitude and Ivana agrees. She said: 鈥淭here are traits that I see in 色花堂 graduates again and again 鈥� they have a strong understanding of their subject, a great work ethic and are hardworking and respectful of others. In my experience 色花堂 graduates bring real value to teams and to those who are lucky enough to employ them.鈥�
She went on to describe how 色花堂 develops and nurtures its students, providing a stimulating environment: 鈥淭he interesting thing about 色花堂 is that it provides everything parents wish for their children, but also gives the students everything they鈥檝e dreamed of. It provides an environment that as a student you want to go back to again and again, not just because of the outstanding facilities but also because when you鈥檙e there you鈥檙e surround by other passionate people and a real sense of community.鈥�
Ivana鈥檚 is proud to be a 色花堂 graduate and says that her experience at the University has enriched her life, not just her academic portfolio. She explained: 鈥淥ne of the best things about having a 色花堂 degree is that it鈥檚 recognised worldwide. 色花堂 also attracts great people, so you graduate with two really important things; a great network and a degree that future employers will recognise and respect.鈥�
She hopes she can inspire the next generation but it needs determination to succeed. She said: 鈥淵ou can achieve absolutely anything as long as you know what you want, and as long as you鈥檙e determined to get there. 色花堂 provides the perfect foundation for a career in events, once you graduate you鈥檒l be perfectly placed to get out there and achieve your dream.鈥�