NEW ONLINE PROGRAM - What is Event Management?

event planner taking notes with a stylus on a tablet at a conference

Does the following skillset sound like you?

You’re organized, you can multitask, you’re great at time management, you’re persistent, creative, and flexible, you communicate well, and you have strong interpersonal skills.

If so, you’re ready for a career in event management. And Kent State University can help prepare you.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment for meeting, convention, and event jobs is projected to grow 18 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.1

What is Event Management?

Event Management “involves overseeing all logistics leading up to and during an event.”2 This can include working with staff, conducting project management, setting up an event, managing the event budget, and executing the event as a whole, among others.

Specific responsibilities of an event manager might include:3

  • Selecting and reserving venues
  • Coordinating outside vendors
  • Engaging speakers or entertainment
  • Arranging for transportation and parking
  • Obtaining necessary permits and appropriate insurance
  • Compliance with health and safety standards
  • Developing emergency contingency plans
  • Crisis and situation management at the event
  • Designing a security plan
  • Monitoring the event

However, this list may not include all aspects depending on the overall scope of the event. As it says in job descriptions, event management also includes other duties as assigned!

What Career Opportunities exist in Event Management?

Possible event management careers include, but are not limited to:

  • Meeting, convention, and event planners
  • Event operations manager
  • Wedding planner
  • Event space or venue manager
  • Conference planner
  • Exhibition coordinator

Why Kent State University?

We prepare you to be a leader in the event industry.

The online Event Management undergraduate certificate at Kent State University covers a wide range of aspects associated with the hospitality industry, including management technology, food production, operations, casino, and club management, legal issues, professional practices, and more.

We offer you the flexibility to complete this certificate on your terms and in as little as two semesters.

This 100% online certificate was created to meet the needs of those working in the industry. It allows students interested in improving their career prospects within the event industry an affordable option to take classes and complete the program on their own schedule. The certificate is even designed to be completed in only two semesters!

Best part? This certificate is also part of our “stackable degrees” option, designed to meet all levels of needs within the burgeoning local and regional tourism, hospitality, and event industries. The courses in the certificate path count for college credit and students can then choose to continue to pursue an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree at Kent State. Check out the online Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management.

NEW PROGRAM! Enroll today in the Online Event Management Undergraduate Certificate at Kent State University

The online Event Management undergraduate certificate prepares students with the introductory and practical skills they need to enter the event management workforce. The curriculum incorporates the newest technologies and emerging trends in the industry. Program faculty are experts in their fields and have decades of experience applying the skills they teach in the classroom.

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Explain the different segments of the hospitality industry and the event management industry, and how they overlap.
  2. Develop professional skills in event management.
  3. Explain the processes involved in planning and executing various types of events.
  4. Create a list of professional groups and certifications for the various types of event managers.

Graduates are prepared with skill sets that allow them to secure exciting positions with leading employers at hotels, wineries, private clubs, casinos, sporting events, meetings, trade shows, cruise lines, and restaurants; or to be self-employed as an event planner.

Students can apply for all courses in the certificate toward the on-campus Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality and Event Management.

For more information on Kent State’s Online Event Management Undergraduate Certificate, visit https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/degrees/certificate-event-management.

100% Online Degrees through the College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Kent State University’s College of Education, Health and Human Services (EHHS) offers a portfolio of 100% online graduate degrees. With the working professional in mind, the college is dedicated to providing quality education on an online platform.

Degrees include:

Learn more about all of the 100% online EHHS degrees.



1 Retrieved on September 22, 2021, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/meeting-convention-and-event-planners.htm

2 Retrieved on September 22, 2021, from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-event-management-4067066

3 Retrieved on September 22, 2021, from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-event-management-406706

Latest Blogs
Registration is now open at Kent State University for all summer courses. The best way to take a course during the summer is online! Read on for eight reasons to take an online summer course at Kent State University.
I am a professor and the associate dean for Research and Global Affairs. I teach undergraduate, master, and doctoral-level courses. Most courses I teach focus on applying theory to developing, implementing, and evaluating community-based public health programs. I direct doctoral dissertations and advise MPH students. In my role as associate dean, I facilitate the research enterprise in the College, including pre and post-award activities, research compliance, and serve on university research-related committees. In addition, I develop research projects with other institutions abroad, faculty and student exchanges, and promote faculty and student research.
Kent State’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship offers one of the nation’s most outstanding online MBA programs, according to The Princeton Review®. The education services company profiles the College in its Top 50 Online MBA Programs for 2023 ranking. Kent State’s Online MBA program is the only one in Ohio to be ranked in the Top 50.
Explore Our Online Programs
Find a Program
Online Minors
Online Non-Degree Graduate Licensure Programs
Get Started
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Center for Adult Veteran Services
Approximately 1,500 international students from 100 countries are enrolled at Kent State University. We’re excited to have you join us, and our international admission team is here to help you every step of the way.
About Kent State Online
Contact Us
Tuition and Costs
Meet Our Faculty
Contact Us