Graduate Spotlight: Sustainable Events Manager Eva Balaban

Since completing her online master's in Creative Events Management with Falmouth in 2023, graduate Eva Balaban’s career has soared. With the aim of changing her career path, Bulgarian-born Eva designed a plan of action that would capitalise on her problem-solving and project management skills. Within three years, as well as earning her master’s degree, Eva has won a major award for her postgraduate thesis and secured a new role with Berlin Music Commission (BMC). 

“I knew that without any contacts in the industry I needed a further qualification. An MA felt like the next step after my undergraduate studies in Spain,” says Berlin-based Eva, who built upon a tourism degree by choosing Falmouth’s Creative Events Management MA. “I chose the course because of its practical and well-structured programme and its online delivery, which allowed me to combine my studies with other commitments without having to move my family. 

“I was especially inspired by the sustainability module and training,” adds Eva, who won the Association for Events Management Education’s ‘Student of the Year Postgraduate Award 2023’ for her dissertation on festival sustainability. “It was a huge honour, though quite unexpected! I dedicated so much time and efforts to writing it and succeeding to secure interviews with senior industry figures was quite challenging and time consuming, but it was well worth it in the end.” 

On the online community aspect of the course, Eva found it to be an invaluable experience. “It gave me the possibility to meet very interesting people from around the world. I was lucky to form a tight bond from the beginning with my cohort and we really supported each other during the whole course. We are still in touch and even plan on developing our group assignment into a real-life project.”  

In her role at the BMC, Eva is leading a sustainability project funded by Initiative Musik, conducting sustainability development research across the German music industry as well as coordinating a working group of sustainability experts and enthusiasts in Berlin. 

"We’re also involved in the organisation of the Most Wanted: Music convention with a strong focus on sustainability this year and I am supporting the programme team to achieve the ISO 20121 certification – the industry standard for sustainable event management.” 

The future is looking bright for Eva, who also recently won an open call for EUNIC about Cultural Relations & Climate Action that she is now developing. “I am thrilled with all the exciting challenges and opportunities the course gave me. I met some of the pioneers in the field in Europe, and as well as being an assessor for A Greener Future and sustainability manager for the BMC, I have the prospect of some exciting new challenges and opportunities in the year ahead.” 

Explore Creative Events Management MA (Online)