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:
“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.
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.” – Fay Sharpe OBE, Founder of FF15
“The Association for Events Management Education (AEME) is delighted to partner with Fast Forward 15 again in 2026 for the University Challenge, where events management students compete to showcase the knowledge and skills gained through their degrees, whilst contributing to meaningful causes supported by 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. 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.”- Dr Jane Tattersall, Executive Committee Member, Association for Events Management Education
“ABPCO is proud to be partnering once again with FF15. University Challenge is a highly valuable initiative and encourages next gen talent to connect with our Association. We also encourage our members to actively support and engage with FF15. “ – Matt Stalker, Executive Director, ABPCO
“Meeting Needs is thrilled to once again be part of the University Challenge. We truly value the opportunity to connect with the next generation of event planners through this great initiative. Last year’s students impressed us with their imaginative event proposals integrating charitable fundraising and we’re excited to see what the new group of students come up with this year.” – Lene Corgan, Chair of Meeting Needs
Applications now open
Applications for FF15 presents University Challenge are now open via Zealous, and will close on 12 February 2026. The programme is open to university students studying events, hospitality or related courses across the UK.
