Project management in practice

How does project management function in practice within a complex environment? The hospitality and tourism students at VSGT Maribor explored this question through an interactive simulation based on the principles of project planning, implementation, change management, and project reflection.
As part of the activity, students worked in project teams, taking on various roles (project manager, designer, implementer, communicator) and collaboratively planning and constructing functional parts of a city. Each team was responsible for its own “project module” – from residential areas and public spaces to a hospital (UKC) with accessible infrastructure.

Special emphasis was placed on:

• clearly defining project goals and client requirements,
• coordination between project teams,
• managing time, resources, and communication,
• responding to unforeseen changes and crisis situations.

The realism of the project environment was further enhanced by a video showing a helicopter landing on the UKC helipad, giving students a vivid understanding of the importance of quality infrastructure, timely decision‑making, and stakeholder coordination in emergency situations. This element connected the simulation to real operational challenges that tourism and hospitality systems face in practice.
The activity enabled students to approach project management not merely as a theoretical subject, but as a practical tool for effective work in dynamic and unpredictable environments—an essential competence in modern hospitality and tourism.