WordPress Event Ticketing

As our society has evolved and grown more complex, so have our social gatherings, get-togethers and meet ups grown and become, shall we say,  ever more focused and purposeful.

In a world that is increasingly mediated through professionals in every aspect of our lives, from food and childcare to facility maintenance and wedding ceremonies, there exists a niche of pros skilled and experienced in the delicate art of “what it takes for a group of people larger than 10 persons which has come together (other than to just play a game of basketball) to have fun”.

We call them event managers, and you are here reading this because you are interested in breaking into this field.

That is the reason why in this post I will  exclusively deal with the basest of the basics – i.e. the specific topics you will need to know more about as well as the “subjects” you will have to learn before you spend even a day practicing event management.

This is a profession that demands of you to be responsible and keep to your goals and deadlines – and in order to do that you will have to think quickly, be adaptable and be sure that you know your stuff – and to be willing to learn more stuff.

To begin with, you could go the self-education way: there are a bunch of resources on event management that can be found on the internet, pages of pages of advice both vague and sound (just like this one you are reading now, but this one has a noble goal: to impress upon you the importance of doing more than goggling key phrases and seeing where the flow of information takes you).

Event management courses are really the most obvious way to get yourself some solid, fertile fundamentals upon which the seeds of experience can fall and grow. They will teach you all the basics and, if worth the price, will provide the opportunity to learn through doing, mostly through helping out with your university events, like the graduation ceremony.

Event management courses are really the most obvious way to get yourself some solid, fertile fundamentals upon which the seeds of experience can fall and grow

As you may have gathered, many universities and colleges offer these courses, and the majority are right on the money with what they teach students over the course (of the course).

But how will a fresh-faced event management aspirant know the criteria to separate good courses from those who are just there to make a quick buck? That is why I’ve compiled  a handy list of topics that should be covered by any institution that professes to teach you what event management actually entails.

Essential Information

Event management courses are usually a part of associate's and bachelor's degree programs in meeting and event management, hospitality or tourism. As would be expected, quite a lot of these programs offer online training.

There are also certificate programs, both undergraduate and graduate, offer courses in event management without the general education requirements. These programs often include various electives and vary in the number of courses. Graduate event management certificate programs are intended mostly for students of business or marketing. A bachelor's degree is usually a prerequisite for enrollment.

So, here are some of the most common event management courses offered through certificate and undergraduate degree programs in the field.

Managing Meetings and Events

This type of course will introduce you to the fundamentals of the process of planning and managing meetings and events. You will learn what organization and information management entails in event planning – for now, it will mean creating event checklists, timelines and master event production books. Hopefully, you should get to know several essential event management tools, such as service proposals for catering, printing, lodging and other services required to carry out an event. This is the first required course in an event management certificate or degree program.

Special Events

Not all events are created equal, and you probably already know that, but the main difference come down to the scale and purpose of the event. Some of your duties will be the same no matter what the event, such as coordinating multiple vendor, staff and guest activities. In this type of course, students should get to know the principles of managing large events while concentrating on the elements that make events distinctive, such as venue, decorations, food selection and entertainment. Creating a themed event and making theme-appropriate choices in all aspects are discussed.

Marketing and Promotion

Promotion, public relations and generally getting the word on your event out are all essential skills for event managers, so some marketing knowledge is indispensible. Like any undergraduate marketing course, this one should cover all the marketing fundamentals, such as targeting an audience, creating promotional materials to reach that audience, but also be more specific and goal-oriented regarding event marketing needs like determining ticket prices in order to cover event costs. This type of  course should also discuss methods and practices of obtaining event sponsorship.

Budgeting and Finances

Some say that money comes first, but I prefer that money is handled –and discussed – by people who have some inkling of what they should and could use it for. That is why budget and finances come to the spotlight later on during your event management program. Here, you should learn what are your options for funding events, from acquiring sponsors to charging ticket or registration fees, which means you should come out of this course capable of creating an event budget that incorporates pre-event, event and post-event costs. Learning to use spreadsheets to create and analyze budget data is also a must.

Event Accommodations Management

As an event manager you will have to deal with facility managers all the time – hotels, conference halls and centers, public spaces and other kinds of venues – for the venue itself as well as for lodging. You should receive guiltiness on how to inspect and evaluate venues and facilities for convenience, cost and comfort, as relating to the type of event and type of attendees.

Legal Issues

Don’t worry, you will not have to really commit pages of legal documents, rulings and legislation to mind. But it is important to know the regulations that cover your specific industry, which include common types of contracts and obligations that stem from them, as well as how to obtain relevant licenses from public authorities and what to keep in mind regarding health and safety.