by Sherri Hogan

Events Management students attending Holland College?s Tourism and Travel Management Program will have the rare opportunity to get behind the scenes of one of the biggest events in Canadian music history, the East Coast Music Awards (ECMA).

Being held this year in Sydney, Cape Breton, from February 17th to the 21st, the ECMA boast performances by the biggest names in Canadian music and will be broadcast live on CBC from Centre 200 Arena.

Events Management students will get a first-hand look at how a major event like this is orchestrated and the work that goes on behind the scenes of an event of this magnitude. They will be working as volunteers with the ECMA event staff. As a practical component to their events management course, the students will be assisting key organizers with registration, logistics, staging, promotions, media, all leading up to the grand finale, the awards ceremonies on Sunday February 20th. Third year student Becky MacLean says, "While we are in Sydney, the ECMA will become our classroom; it is going to be a fantastic, exciting experience". Kathie Coffin-Sulis, Events Management Instructor, adds, "This event encompasses all of the key elements of any successful event and will be a wonderful learning experience for our students".

The ECMA have evolved from small bars in Halifax, Nova Scotia into being the premier music event in Atlantic Canada, and one of the tops of its kind in the continent. Tanya Gallant, executive assistant to the East Coast Music Association remarked, "Having exposure to an event like the ECMA is like having a back stage pass to one of the biggest events in the Canadian music industry; the students will see and learn so much that they will carry with them throughout their careers."

The ECMA have always been known for showcasing young music talent in Atlantic Canada but have now given these young aspiring Holland College students the opportunity to showcase their own talent.