MMSSOFT035: Conference and Event Management

Conference and Event Management

Although it does take plenty of creativity to design an event that is memorable and meaningful, it also takes careful attention to detail, adaptability, effective delegating, and a lot of work. This two-day course will walk you through the process of event management, from the beginning stages of planning, to the final touches (like decorations, food, and music).

 

While this course is specifically for corporate event planning, the elements here can also be applied to more personal event planning like anniversaries, special birthday gatherings, weddings, and more. Essentially, we’re creating an effective and well planned design that is ready for implementation and can be used over and over again.

 

Learning objectives for this course include:

• Plan a complete corporate event, including an agenda, budget, goals, venue, audience, food, and whatever else your client needs
• Keep your event on budget
• Design an advertising and marketing plan that includes a comprehensive use of media, take-aways, and/or swag bags
• Determine whether partners, sponsors, and volunteers can help to make your event unforgettable
• Create an atmosphere of service that delegates will remember
• Select speakers and a master of ceremonies to add impact to your event
• Create a diversity plan
• Evaluate the process once it’s all wrapped up

 

Course Overview

You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.

 

Event Planning Essentials

To start, we will explore key event elements and planning documents, including briefing notes and event planning worksheets.

 

Budgeting Basics

Budgets are a critical piece of event planning. This session will explore the important parts of any budget and give participants some hands-on practice with budgeting.

 

Using the Committee Approach

You can’t do everything yourself! This session will look at building a committee and recruiting volunteers to help make any event a success. We’ll also give participants tips on delegation.

Connecting with Partners and Sponsors

This session will explore some additional places that participants can gather support for their events.

 

Advertising and Marketing

Next, participants will learn about the importance of contacting delegates and how they can make every touch count. Take-aways and swag bags will also be covered.

 

Selecting the Venue

Meeting venues are very important to the success of your event. This session will explore what to consider and how to choose a great venue.

 

Feeding the Masses

People love food! This session will give participants some tips on choosing the right menu for their event while staying in their budget.

 

Business Etiquette Basics

Etiquette terrifies many people, but it’s not as scary as it seems! In this session, participants will receive some tips to make etiquette easier for them and people attending their events.

 

Celebrating Diversity

When you are responsible for event planning, you must be inclusive to ensure that that everyone who attends will feel equally welcome. In this session, participants will explore some ways to build a diverse, inclusive event.

 

Creating an Atmosphere of Service

In this session, participants will brainstorm some ways to demonstrate good customer service.

 

Selecting Speakers and a Master of Ceremonies

Selecting the people who will be the public face of your event requires some careful planning. This session will give participants some tips on picking the right people.

 

Managing Contracts

Working with contracts is an essential part of event planning. This session will talk about why contracts are important and what they need to include.

 

Gathering Feedback

In this session, participants will learn about several formats that event planners use to evaluate their corporate events.

 

Adding the Finishing Touches

Next, we’ll talk about how to engage the audience and create an unforgettable event.

Event Day Roles

You’ve done all the planning, everyone’s ready, and the delegates are about to arrive. What to do? This session will answer the big question!

 

Closing the Event

When everything is all over, it’s time to evaluate your performance. This session will give participants a checklist of things to include in a conference report. We’ll also talk about other wrap-up activities, like thank-yous and the final event meeting.

 

Practicing Planning

In the final session of this workshop, participants will create an event plan in teams and present it to the group.

 

Workshop Wrap-Up

At the end of the workshop, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and complete an action plan.