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

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