Higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa are under increasing pressure to improve graduate employability and ensure that the academic experience received by the students assists them in acquiring the competence, knowledge and skills required to function well in their selected industry. Employability for graduates is viewed as a combination of personal qualities, knowledge, techniques, and the capacity to reflect on experience constructively. This article aims to analyse research conducted at the University of Technology to investigate graduates' perceptions of how their university qualification contributed to work readiness in the event industry and the employer's perceptions of their competencies. The research is a mixed methods approach using a structured questionnaire administered among University of Technology students between 2021 and 2023. Of the 121 registered students, 110 completed. Most respondents indicated that the event management curriculum gave them a theoretical basis to apply their knowledge in the industry and that the delivery of curricula supported growth in intellectual and social competencies, which benefited them working in the industry. Fourteen interviews were conducted with event industry practitioners. Findings from the interviews facilitated an in-depth understanding of the skills and competencies expected in the event industry in South Africa and the challenges thereof.