Fast Forward 15 has announced the return of its University Challenge, launching the second edition of the initiative designed to give university events students real-world industry experience while raising funds for charity.
Following a successful inaugural year, the programme will once again challenge student teams from across the UK to design, deliver and evaluate live charity events, supported by industry mentors and judged by leading professionals from across the meetings and events sector.
The second edition of FF15 presents University Challenge is delivered in partnership with AEME as education partner, ABPCO as industry partner, and Meeting Needs as charity partner.
In its first year, the University Challenge saw eight teams from universities across the UK deliver a diverse range of creative fundraising events, including jumble sales, art therapy days, a community dog show and an 80s boogie night. Collectively, the teams raised more than £4,000 for Meeting Needs projects.
The challenge places emphasis not on profit alone, but on teamwork, creativity, learning outcomes and reflective practice, mirroring the realities of professional event delivery and evaluation.
In 2025, the winning team was “Bark in the Park” by BSc Event Management students Jessica Brownell-Burgess, Maisie Bushell & Cerys Dutton, from Sheffield Hallam University,
How the challenge works
The 2026 challenge will run from February to April, with judging taking place in May 2026. Student teams will be required to submit a post-event report detailing their concept, execution, outcomes and reflections.
Each team will be partnered with two industry mentors, providing guidance and insight throughout the challenge period. University Challenge mentors will be announced in February 2026.
The winning team will receive a £1,000 grand prize, with the top two teams invited to attend the FF15 Graduation event in London in summer 2026, where the overall winner will be revealed.
Industry collaboration and impact
The programme is designed to bridge the gap between education and industry, offering students meaningful exposure to professional standards while enabling industry bodies to support and shape the next generation of event professionals.
Fay Sharpe OBE, founder of FF15 said: “We were delighted with the success of the new University Challenge initiative. Eight teams from seven universities across the UK took part, and both the standard of entries and the quality of the event were first class. The initiative clearly demonstrated the exceptional talent emerging from event-related degree programmes.”
She added: “Through this programme, we aim to connect the next generation of event professionals with the industry at an early stage, while providing hands-on mentoring and raising funds for Meeting Needs.”
The competition provides opportunities for students to demonstrate professional live event management, including creative event design and operations, financial management and stakeholder engagement.
Dr Jane Tattersall, executive committee member, AEMA, said: “Helping to bridge the gap between higher education and industry, the University Challenge shines a light on the high calibre of events management graduates, their industry-readiness and a commitment to responsible management and social impact.”
Applications are now open and will close on 12 February 2026.
The programme is open to university students studying events, hospitality or related courses across the UK.