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Hospitality, Travel & Creative Program ►Event Planning Entrepreneur Certificate Program




This training program combines a two course training track:

  • Event Planning & Management
  • Start Your Own Business

Event planners need professional caliber information that explains everything from how to decorate, to the use of technology, and everything in between. In this course you will learn that information and much more. It is through planned events that we remember our shared history, our friends, family, and community. We include information on greener events, corporate social responsibility, international best practices, and the expanding event field. You will also learn how technology, including the use of social media, may be harnessed to improve the financial, environmental, and other strategic outcomes of a special event.


The Job Outlook

Employment of meeting, convention, and event planners is expected to grow 44 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. As businesses and organizations become increasingly international, meetings and conventions are expected to become even more important. For many of these organizations, meetings are the only time they can bring their members together. Despite the spread of online communication, face-to-face interaction is irreplaceable. In addition, industries and businesses increasingly recognize the value of hiring professional meeting planners who can deliver top-notch meetings at the best available price.


Event Planning & Management 270 Hours

Event planners need up to date information that explains everything from how to decorate, to the use of technology, and everything in between. It is through planned events that we remember our shared history, our friends, family, and community. In this course we describe the creative process of event planning, how to identify the needs of your guests, how to budget and control costs and how to develop a design both virtually and in person. You will also learn about video, audio, and other design equipment, as well as how to present design models to potential clients.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

  • Define the principles of event leadership
  • Recognize the steps for planning an event budget, working with vendors, and necessary time management skills
  • Differentiate between types of virtual and live events, venues, seating arrangements and audio and visual effects
  • Identify various design approaches and how to implement them
  • Recall types of design elements, materials, and models of presentation

Start Your Own Business 225 Hours

Have you ever eaten a Mrs. Fields cookie? Used a MacBook computer? Listened to a hip-hop CD? Entrepreneurs brought these products to your world. People that start their own businesses and work for themselves are called entrepreneurs. For an entrepreneur the sky is the limit as far as earnings are concerned. An entrepreneur is someone who’s recognized an opportunity to start a business that other people may not have noticed — and jumps at it skillfully. Entrepreneurs can shape and create an opportunity where others see little or nothing — or see it too early or too late.

Our “Start Your Own Business” class will help you create the business you want. Throughout this course you will be working on your business plan and creating a quick comprehensive overview of the elements you want in your new business.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

  • Define entrepreneurship
  • Recall the steps for developing a business plan
  • Identify methods for forming a financing strategy
  • Recognize the fundamentals of commercial law
  • Distinguish between potential strategies for growing your business


Event Planning & Management Module 1

Sustainable Events

  • Anthropological and Sociological Origins
  • Growth Opportunities
  • Public Relations
  • Global Business
  • The Event Planning Profession
  • Project Management Systems for Event Leaders
  • Executing the Event Plan
  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Event Planning & Management Module 2

Event Leadership and Human Resources

  • Keeping Sustainability in Mind
  • Five Senses
  • Identifying Needs of Your Guests
  • Securing the Environment
  • Entrances, Pre-Function, and Reception Areas
  • Themed Events
  • Leadership Styles
  • Human Resource Management
  • Developing Policies, Procedures, and Practices

Event Planning & Management Module 3

Financial Leadership and Vendor

  • Budgeting
  • Producing Profit
  • Controlling and Reducing Costs
  • Ensuring Positive Event Cash Flow
  • Accounts Payable
  • Common Event Financial Challenges
  • Contracting Your Vendor Partners
  • On-Site Coordination
  • Catering Management
  • Coordinating Technical Production

Event Planning & Management Module 4

Marketing and Risk Management

  • The 5 Ps of Marketing
  • Internal vs. External Event Marketing
  • Event Promotion Techniques
  • Internet Marketing for Events
  • Web Design and Management
  • Risk-Averse Procedures
  • Differences Among Morals, Laws and Ethics
  • Future Trends in CSR
  • Complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Why is CSR Important in the Special Events Industry?

Event Planning & Management Module 5

Virtual Events and Career Growth

  • Virtual vs. Live
  • Distance or Blending Learning?
  • Creating New Revenue
  • Tracking and Encouraging the Progress of Leaders
  • Marketing Online vs. Virtual Events
  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Your First Five Steps to Creating Sustainable Events
  • Cultural Sustainability
  • Local Economies
  • Promoting Your Greener Event

Event Planning & Management Module 6

Venues and Staging

  • What is a Corporate Event?
  • Who Attends a Corporate Event?
  • History and Future of Corporate Events
  • Types of Venus Site Surveys
  • Common Venue Oversights
  • Selecting a Venue
  • Why is Staging Needed?
  • Types of Staging
  • Stage Configuration
  • Choosing the Best Stage for Your Even

Event Planning & Management Module 7

Seating, Rigging, Lighting and Video

  • Types of Chairs and Tables
  • Estimating Seating Capacity
  • Choosing the Best Seating Configurations
  • The Basics of Rigging
  • Rigging Equipment
  • Rigging Points
  • Elements of Light
  • Gobos
  • Three-Point Lighting
  • Video Cameras and Control

Event Planning & Management Module 8

Audio, Speakers and Design Teams

  • Why Are Audio Systems Needed?
  • Parts of a Sound System
  • Types of Microphones and Speakers
  • Preparation Spaces
  • Presentation Management
  • The Value of Rehearsals
  • The Proposal Response Process
  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Freelance and Corporate Design Teams
  • Differences Between Freelance and Corporate
  • Roles within an Event Design Team

Event Planning & Management Module 9

Developing a Design

  • Drafting Software
  • Venue Floor Plans
  • Creating a Working Floor Plan
  • Fundamentals of Design
  • A Designer’s Toolkit
  • Transforming Data into Design Research
  • Using Your Design Palette
  • Areas of Focus
  • Design Approaches
  • Common Scenic Styles for the Corporate Event World

Event Planning & Management Module 10

Environment Design, Materials and Presenting

  • Providing Directions
  • Providing Atmosphere
  • Scenic Materials and Construction
  • Scenic Painting
  • Adding Finishing Touches
  • How Scenic Concepts are Presented
  • Illustration Styles
  • Effective Presentation Models
  • The Order of Your Presentation

Start Your Own Business Module 1

Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship

  • Defining Entrepreneurship
  • Free-Enterprise System
  • What is a Small Business?
  • Paths to Enterprise Ownership
  • Benefits and Costs of Becoming an Entrepreneur
  • Lean Startup Methodology
  • What is a Business Plan?
  • Business Plan Components

Start Your Own Business Module 2

Creating Business and Exploring Your Market

  • What Defines a Business?
  • Business Opportunity Decision Process
  • Your Competitive Advantage
  • Determining the Value of a Business
  • Product Life Cycle
  • Customer Research
  • Segment and Industry Research
  • Market Positioning

Start Your Own Business Module 3

Marketing Mix and Smart Selling

  • The Marketing Mix
  • Product, Price, Place, Promotion
  • Advertising and Sales Promotion
  • PublicityPotential
  • Developing a Marketing Plan
  • Sales Call
  • Creating a Sales Force
  • Customer Relationship Management Systems

Start Your Own Business Module 4

Costs and Financial Statements

  • Start-Up Investment
  • Estimate Value
  • Fixed and Variable Costs
  • Calculating Critical Costs
  • Income Statements
  • The Balance Sheet
  • Financial Ratio Analysis
  • Balance Sheet Analysis

Start Your Own Business Module 5

Cash Flow, Taxes, and Financing Strategies

  • Cash Flow
  • Working Capital Cycle
  • Using a Cash Flow Statemen
  • Capital Budgeting
  • Gifts and Grants
  • Debit and Equity Financing
  • Investing

Start Your Own Business Module 6

Legal Issues and Operating for Success

  • Business Legal Structures
  • Contracts
  • Commercial Law
  • Intellectual Property
  • Protecting Tangible Assets
  • Licenses, Permits, and Certificates
  • Production-Distribution Chain
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Defining Quality

Start Your Own Business Module 7

Management, Leadership, Financing, Licensing

  • The Entrepreneur as Leader
  • Business Managemen
  • Creating and Managing Organizational Culture
  • Ethical Leadership
  • Social Responsibility and Ethics
  • Focus Your Brand
  • Harvesting and Exiting Option
  • Creating Wealth by Selling a Profitable Busines

**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**

Certification

Upon successful completion of our Event Planning and Management course, students will be prepared for an entry-level job in the Event Planning industry and to sit for the NCCB national certification exam to become a Certified Event Planning Specialist (CEPS).

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