Are you interested in a self-paced, asynchronous online version of this program? Click here to join our waitlist for this program, which is currently in development, and get notified when it launches.
Meetings and Events represent an $845 billion industry. The industry employs 5.9 million people with $249 million of labor income. Additionally, the industry contributes $446 billion towards U.S. gross domestic product.*
Whether you are new to meeting and event planning, currently employed as a mid-level administrative assistant or marketing coordinator, or a seasoned pro who wants to sharpen your skills, CSULB’s Meeting and Event Planning Certificate Program offers the opportunity to expand your knowledge within this growing industry. You’ll be able to catch up with the latest trends and technology, explore new career opportunities, and expand your abilities as a planner.
The Meeting and Event Planning Certificate Program will teach you how to plan, design, and execute a variety of events, from weddings and social occasions to sales meetings and other corporate or company events. With the methods and techniques taught in this course, you will be able to future-proof your skills, resources, and have the ability to pivot in difficult times. The course is taught by a consortium of real-world professionals who have produced thousands of events domestically and around the world, and who continue to work and hone their craft in the marketplace. All the instructors continuously update content to reflect current trends, accepted best-practices, and the ever-changing conditions in the marketplace.
Students who successfully complete this program are eligible to receive a Digital Badge from CSULB’s College of Professional and Continuing Education. Each Digital Badge is embedded with a link to secure and specific information confirming that the participant has obtained the necessary skills and competencies as described in the program. The badge also includes the participant’s name, the course title, and date of completion. Badges are shareable and can be uploaded to CVs, resumes, social media profiles, or other digital platforms. Click here to learn more about Digital Badges.
*Data from “The Economic Significance of Meetings to the U.S. Economy” by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Those with responsibilities for meeting planning and event organizing for their company, organization, etc.
Those in the hospitality and tourism field looking for additional knowledge and skillsets
Meeting planning professionals who want to update their skills and gain a competitive edge
Individuals making a career change and considering becoming a meeting and event planner
Planners who are looking to accumulate 6.0 hours towards qualifying to sit for the Certified Meeting Professional exam or renewal
Invaluable information about career opportunities in meeting planning and related fields
Specific skills and knowledge that are crucial to professional meeting planners
The logistics to create a successful event from idea creation through implementation
Attend all class meetings.
Complete all class projects.
To receive the certificate in the current semester, no class meeting may be missed.
To complete the certificate in the following semester absences may be made up at a fee of $50 per class, subject to program availability.
This is a very interesting course that presents an insight into the booming industry of event planning in the Los Angeles area and around the world. This has inspired me to push further into this industry.
Sean Fistonich
Fall 2020 Student
Meeting and Events Planning
This was a great foundation for building my career as a professional event planner. I also had the opportunity to learn from experienced leaders in the industry and network with like-minded peers. In 2016, I launched my own event planning business. I highly recommend this certificate program.
Elicia Magaña
CEO, KIMA Event Management and Consulting
Meeting and Event Planning
Program Outline
First of all, what is a meeting planner and what do they do? What salaries can be expected, and where can jobs be found in this field? This course provides answers through an overview of the industry as well as basic planning techniques and other skills needed for the various jobs available to meeting planners. You’ll learn how to define the goals and objectives of each event, where it should occur, and what should be included to ensure that each participant’s time is well spent. The step-by-step planning process assures that your meetings will fit the needs of the audience and the goals of your stakeholders.
Topics Include:
How to get started as a meeting professional
Job opportunities
Setting goals and objectives
Creating timelines, design plans
Selecting speakers and organizing the registration process
How to keep records and evaluate events
Whether it’s for celebration, education, corporation, or association, every event requires a budget. The complex task of identifying costs and accurately projecting them is critical to the financial control and ultimate success of each event. This course is the backbone of event planning, and will provide you with the tools to identify and manage expenses and, if appropriate, income. A basic Excel template will be the starting point of budget preparation, and students are encouraged to bring laptops with Excel software already installed. However, having a laptop is not essential to participation in this course.
Topics Include:
How to establish a budget
Defining cost centers
Determining break-even points and setting registration fees
Cost-saving measures and identifying where additional funding may be acquired
Choosing the right location and type of venue can make or break your event. You’ll learn what criteria should be used to determine which cities and categories of hotels are best for your event; what resources are available to help select the location possibilities; and how to write and compare detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) forms to obtain available dates and rates.
Topics Include:
Selecting a venue well-suited to your group's needs
How to design an RFP
Extending your resources
Understanding convention and visitors bureaus
Conducting site inspections to determine suitable venues
In order to provide services for your clients, you must have the skills to negotiate. You’ll learn what goes into writing a professional-level contract that will work out best for all involved, while protecting yourself in the process.
Topics Include:
Hotel profit centers
Negotiable elements of contracts
Contract clauses, liability, and insurance issues
Meetings, trade shows, festivals, galas, product launches, and awards ceremonies are events with various planning needs. In this comprehensive course, we will find the “anatomy” for all of the components that comprise a healthy event—one that is well-executed, financially successful, and long-lasting in the memories it creates for all who attend. We will examine strategy, preparation, and tips for execution before, during, and after an event. In the end, you will have a “how-to” guide that will prepare you to deliver a fine-tuned special event for any occasion.
Topics Include:
Definitions of different types of special events
How to begin planning
Information needed to make an initial inquiry
Request for Proposal (RFP) details
Determining the deliverables
An overview of wedding planning
What good is a meeting if you can't see or hear properly? This course addresses what elements are available and necessary to assure that your group gets the most from their attendance. Working with an audio-visual technician and choosing the right location are some of the important points covered.
Topics Include:
Audio-visual components of meetings
Preventing unwanted disasters
Operation of audio-visual equipment
Digital and hybrid meetings
Food and Beverage are among the most costly parts of any meeting or event. The challenge is to select menus that satisfy attendees, meet healthy menu standards, and follow “green” sustainability guidelines. Sophisticated attendees may expect a gourmet experience on a "small potatoes" budget, so you’ll learn how to choose menus carefully according to guidelines, not absolutes. While studying the tricks of the trade to save money and choose wisely, you’ll be able to plan menus that are satisfying, fulfilling, healthy, and within budget.
Topics Include:
The importance of a Banquet Event Order (BEO)
Working within the established budget
How to choose appetizing menu selections
Healthy menu choices and menu restrictions
Determining guarantees and room specifications
In this course, we study a hotel flow chart and review how the different jobs interact and check and balance good service. We review specific job descriptions and role play for interviewing.
We review which areas are profit for a hotel and which are loss leaders. The attendee will leave knowing how to work with the different departments in a hotel as a planner and as a guest.
Topics Include:
Working with hotel staff
Calendars, timelines, and deadlines
Working with clients
Troubleshooting
Project management unifies the event manager to other corresponding departments and people to communicate, record, and archive a successful event.
Topics Include:
Developing the project
Understanding the importance of a written plan
Understanding the communication plan and its importance
Understanding the management of procurement influences, expense management, and end performance
Risk management in the events industry is more relevant than ever. Event planners' obligations have escalated in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, as well as recent periods of civil unrest across the country and around the world. Therefore, knowledge and management of risks requires additional education that must be continually updated.
Topics Include:
How to identify and analyze risks related to meetings and events
How to design your event plan
How to implement an emergency response plan
Understanding the various options of security plans for public and private events
Instructors
David Anderson, CMP, is a principal owner of the Eventive Group, which was founded in 2000 to serve corporate, non-profit, and association meeting and events. David has been a member of Meetings Professionals International since 2000, and served on the Southern California Chapter board of directors for ten years. David has presented to multiple organizations on the topics of meeting/event planning, volunteerism, time management, site selection, meeting space design, and special event design.
David A. Anderson, CMP
Michael Herman has been working in audio visuals in one medium or another since he was in junior high school, showing 16mm films in classrooms. After working in film, theater, and network and cable television he moved to the corporate AV world in 1998. Michael has led the AV departments in numerous Los Angeles and Orange County hotels, including the Four Seasons Newport Beach, Loews Santa Monica, The Sheraton Universal, and the Omni Los Angeles. He has also worked in other venues, such as the LA and Anaheim Convention Centers, restaurants, schools, and athletic stadiums. He has taught video production, audiovisuals, and stagecrafts at the community colleges, he worked as a Director, Assistant Director, or Manager for several national audiovisual companies. He has also served as a trainer, training writer, and editor. Michael holds a BA in Broadcasting from CSULA and an MBA in the management of the arts from UCLA.
Michael Herman, Instructor
Mark Lorimer, CMP is a principal owner of the Eventive Group, founded in 2000 to serve corporate, non-profit and association meeting and events. He started his professional life as a city manager for a number of municipalities in Southern California. With a broad base of roles in the private and public sectors, Mark brings a wealth of experience in creating and managing budgets, dealing with complex funding sources, and explaining financial outcomes to stakeholders. Mark served on the board of directors of the Orange County Chapter of Meetings Professionals International. He has presented to industry and non-industry groups on topics that include meeting/event planning, budget and finance for events, and special event design.
Mark Lorimer, CMP
Haley has taught Hotel and Restaurant Management as well as Meeting and Event Planning at UCLA, CSULB, CSU Dominquez Hills, and Hyatt Basics. She has also facilitated the CMP study program for MPI, Southern California. Working as a meeting professional since 1998, she has served as Director of Sales & Marketing for Hyatt Hotels, Sheraton, Marriott and others. In addition, she was the Executive Director, West Hollywood CVB, and handled Conventions Sales at the Los Angeles CVB. She has received the PMI President’s Award and Lois Houser Service Award; and has published in the fields of convention marketing and tourism.
Haley Powers, CMP
Clint Upchurch has over 20 years of corporate event experience. He brings a unique background in design, hospitality, and strategic thinking to the clients he serves, as well as to the industry as a whole. He is a former Vice President of Membership on the Board of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of ILEA, and currently serves on the Board of Directors as the VP of Leadership Development with the Southern California Chapter of Meeting Professionals International. In addition to being an instructor at California State University, Long Beach, Upchurch speaks internationally at industry conferences, and has held multiple seats over the years with various industry organizations. Upchurch’s creative approach to each project inspires him to produce experiential marketing programs and brand activations, along with business meetings and hospitality events. He works tirelessly with his clients to become ingrained into their corporate culture, allowing him to address the specific needs of each client.
Clint Upchurch, Instructor
Libby Zarrahy is a leader in the meeting community, with a diverse background in branded and non-branded hotels. She enjoys teaching, mentoring, and developing emerging leaders. A past facilitator of Meeting Professionals International Southern California Chapter (MPISCC) for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) certification program, Libby’s collaborative instructional style merges all levels of experience. Her students can expect to learn, contribute, and develop further in the subject of Project Management.
Libby Zarrahy, Instructor
“After much research, I decided to attend the Meeting and Event Planning Certificate Program at California State University, Long Beach. All the instructors had an amazing background, with many years of experience in all phases of planning. They taught us all aspects of the business in the 10-week course. At the conclusion of the class, I was able to secure a job in event planning with my instructors’ help and guidance; and I have been in the field for over 3.5 years to date. I suggest anyone interested in the field to take these classes to gain a better understanding of the meetings and event industry, and all it takes to be an event planner!"
Asal Namini
Meeting and Event Planning
Frequently Asked Questions
You are all set. All you will have to do is wait for the email that is sent a week before the start of the first class with information and updates about the program.
Materials will be downloadable through BeachBoard, the learning management system at CSULB. More information will be provided prior to the first class meeting.
Please email Robin Stevenson and Ashley Cartwright to let them know in advance. They will determine if it will count against your attendance or not.
You must attend all 10 class meetings in order to successfully complete the program. If you need to miss a class, you will be able to make up that class during the following semester. The make-up fee for each class is $50.00.
Participants will need reliable internet access and a PC computer with the latest Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox browser, or a Macintosh computer with the latest version of Internet Explorer to access your class.
In addition, you will need Broadband Internet connection (DSL or faster) and a soundcard (for videos included in some of the modules).
You will also need to have the latest Flash Player to access the animations and some graphics. Both of these items are available as free downloads from the Microsoft, Mozilla, and Adobe web sites.
Our Technology Enhanced Learning Center will be able to assist you with locating, downloading, and installing the browser and the player. For more detailed information specific to these online course technical requirements, call the CPIE Help Desk at (562) 985-2900.
Information Sessions
Potential students interested in learning more about the Meeting and Event Planning program are encouraged to attend a free Information Session, which is designed to provide you with an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the program's benefits.
Upcoming online-only Information Sessions are below. Click on the date to register for the Zoom meeting.
Meeting and Event Planning
Offerings of this program have either started or are under development. Please check back for information on the next offering or email cpace-info@csulb.edu.
Sean Fistonich Fall 2020 Student Meeting and Events Planning