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Corporate Event Planner

Stock photo of a conference event

Program Overview

When organizations have achievements to celebrate, issues to address or occasions to mark, they often turn to event planners. These corporate event planners work in handling needs for space and logistics, equipment and scheduling for special events. This 100% online course will teach you the concepts and techniques behind corporate event planning. Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a Certified Corporate Event Planner credential from the Wedding Planning Institute.

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Job Outlook

  • According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of 2018, approximately 134,100 event planners worked in the United States. The BLS expects this number to grow by approximately 7% between now and 2028, a rate that is faster than the 5% expected for overall job growth.
  • Organizations need to bring their employees, customers and other stakeholders together in physical meetings from time to time. Therefore, the BLS expects the demand for meeting planners to remain strong, despite a recent trend toward online and virtual interactions.
  • Professional, experienced meeting planners earn $50,600 per year, on average. The highest-paid meeting planners earn over $86,000, and freelance or highly specialized meeting planners may exceed that income level.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Corporate event planners work with organizations to make sure their events (meetings, presentations, publicity campaigns, trips and parties, among many other types) are executed flawlessly. They plan the facilities, decor, catering and entertainment, invitee and guest lists, speakers and topics, schedules, transportation and other details that create a successful event.

Although event planners may work behind the scenes, their work is crucial to a company or brand's image. Successful events enhance an organization's image, improve relations with its key audiences and bolster morale among its employees, customers and vendor groups.

The BLS notes that most successful corporate event planners have undertaken specialized education or training.

A certification such as the Wedding Planning Institute's Certified Corporate Event Planner signals to high-level employers or prospective clients that an event planner takes their profession seriously and is committed to the highest levels of professional practice and conduct.

Event planners may work with an almost limitless variety of industries, organizations and fields. However, their work is generally synthesized into five areas:

  • Special events such as galas, fundraisers, public relations events and product promotions that serve a specific purpose
  • Meetings that may serve many professional, corporate or business networking purposes
  • Assemblies, conferences or conventions that unite groups with common interests
  • Recognition events for the achievement of incentives, awards, or other objectives
  • Training through seminars, workshops or education events

Course Objectives

  • Interview new clients and event stakeholders to create a scope of work, including venue selection, floor plans, seating accommodations, timelines, and a checklist required to ensure a successful event outcome
  • Create backup plans and apply security measures
  • Apply event planning formulas to the rollout, setup and execution of any corporate event by implementing critical path methodologies, timelines, and project management best practices
  • Set budgets and service charges
  • Research the market to present a proposal of options to meet the event budget and restrictions set by a client/event
  • Price services and incorporate additional fees for sourcing rentals
  • Document events and perform a "postmortem" process to encourage "lessons learned" in every event at every location

Prerequisites and Requirements

There are no prerequisites to taking this course.

Curriculum

Introduction and Course Standards

Corporate event planner services and project management; the SMART types of corporate events

Planning the Event

Planning the event and setting the budget; marketing, staffing and vendor sourcing

Managing the Event

Management fundamentals and delivery details; scheduling techniques used to enhance event planning

Quality Control

How to set quality control expectations; risk, safety and emergency management

Departure and Exit

Create a departure/exit strategy; how to monitor the event outcome and manage the unexpected

Instructors

Cho Phillips

Cho Phillips is the founder of Lovegevity, Inc. and the Wedding Planning Institute. She has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Washington Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Las Vegas Sun, and has been a guest on NBC, UPN, WB and other nationally-broadcast television and radio stations.

This course is 100% online. Start anytime.