Whether you are new to meeting planning or a seasoned pro, SDSU's <strong>Meeting and Event Planning Certificate</strong> offers you the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills within this growing industry. If you want to explore a new career opportunity or become more astute in your abilities; if you're seeking help with planning a single meeting or event; or if you want to find out how to grow your career in the meeting industry; this program is for you! We are partnering with Meeting Professionals International (MPI) to present this very popular certificate program.
<strong>Award of Certificate</strong><br />
To earn a certificate, participants must complete the required core and elective courses within two years. Students must attend all class sessions of each course in order to pass the course. In order to receive credit for attendance in a course, students are responsible for signing in and out of each class session. Students who fail to sign in and out of each class session will not be recorded as attending that session.<br />
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<strong>Registration Deadline</strong><br />
The registration deadline is the first day of class.<br />
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<strong>Discounts</strong><br />
Register for 10 or more courses and receive a 10% discount. Contact the registration office by phone at (619) 594-5152 to register and obtain discount. Discount only applies to certificate courses registered for at the same time and taken in the same term.<br />
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All SDSU <strong>Meeting and Event Planning Certificate</strong> alumni will receive a 10% discount for any MEP courses. Only one discount may apply.<br />
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<strong>SDSU Bachelor's Degree</strong><br />
Students who earn the <strong>Certificate in Meeting and Event Planning</strong> may request to have HTM 431 waived in the upper division <strong>Hospitality and Tourism Management</strong> major at SDSU. See an HTM advisor at SDSU for more information.<br />
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<strong>Program Manager and Advisor</strong><br />
Lisa DeFino, CSEP, has been in the meeting and event planning industry for over ten years. With an extensive background in event planning and management, she has participated in all types of events from corporate retreats to nonprofit fund raising to national conventions and trade shows.<br />
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<strong>Program Founder and Consultant</strong><br />
Theresa Breining, CMP, CMM, is the founder and president of the meeting management firm Concepts Worldwide.<strong>This program helps to prepare for the MPI and ISES exams.</strong><br />
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<strong>Location of Classes</strong><br />
SDSU Extended Studies/Gateway Centers, Hardy Avenue entrance unless otherwise noted.<br />
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<strong>Core courses include:</strong>
<ul>
<li><strong>(MP 101) </strong><em>Meeting Planning Basics</em> - nine hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 102) </strong><em>Food and Beverage Planning</em> - six hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 103) </strong><em>Event Marketing and Promotion</em> - six hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 104) </strong><em>Site Selection and Contract Negotiation</em> - 12 hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 105) </strong><em>Financial Management of Meeting & Events</em> - six hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 106) </strong><em>Audio Visual Basics</em> - six hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 107) </strong><em>Professional Development</em> - six hours</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Elective courses (18 hours required) include:</strong>
<ul>
<li><strong>(MP 201) </strong><em>Introduction to Special Events</em> - six hours</li>
<!--li><strong>(MP 202) </strong><em>Creativity 101 for Event Design</em> - six hours</li-->
<li><strong>(MP 203) </strong><em>Building Your Own Event Planning Business</em> - six hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 204) </strong><em>Expositions and Festivals</em> - six hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 205) </strong><em>Sponsorship and Fundraising - Non-profit Event Planning</em> - six hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 206) </strong><em>Destination Management</em> - six hours </li>
<li><strong>(MP 207) </strong><em>Event Design and Production</em> - six hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 208) </strong><em>International Meeting Planning</em> - six hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 209) </strong><em>Weddings and Social Events</em> - six hours</li>
<li><strong>(MP 210) </strong><em>Event Planning in Unique Spaces</em> - six hours</li>
</ul>
<strong>This program helps to prepare for the MPI and ISES exams.</strong>
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Course Descriptions
Meeting Planning Basics
You've been given the responsibility of planning an event. Where do you begin? By learning just a few of the basic concepts involved in planning or coordinating a meeting, you can ensure a smooth running event. This course provides you with valuable resources for finding information, checklists, and other aids. The course also gives you information about career opportunities in the meeting planning industry.<br><br>
<b>Students must attend all class sessions in order to pass the course.<b>
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Food & Beverage Planning
Learn how to enhance your programs with successful food and beverage planning. This course will explain policies and guarantees. It will also provide formulas for order pricing, tips on menu planning, and how to plan for special menus and theme parties. It offers lessons on catering off-site events, how to effectively communicate with catering staff, how to read contracts and confirmations, and on-site coordination guidelines.<br><br>
<b>Students must attend all class sessions in order to pass the course.<b>
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Event Marketing and Promotion
Effective marketing and promotion to your audience is critical to your event's success. In this course, you will learn several marketing tools and techniques, and how to use them to your organization's advantage. You will get practical strategies and hands-on experience in creating an event marketing communication action plan for before, during, and after your program.<br><br>
<b>Students must attend all class sessions in order to pass the course.</b>
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Site Selection, Negotiation and Legal Issues
Selecting a location is a complicated process involving more than just booking rooms or choosing menus. This course will cover how to make that initial contact with a site, what to negotiate, effective site inspection, how to contract with a site, cancellation clauses, and ADA requirements. Included in this course is a field trip to a local hotel to conduct a site inspection and mock negotiation.
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Financial Management of Meetings and Events
Creating a budget and developing a plan to implement it are essential for the success of any meeting or event. This class teaches you the management tools necessary to minimize the chances of cost overruns and eliminates surprises that affect your bottom line. Participants will learn how to forecast revenues and expenses, how to prepare spreadsheets, cost control, and profit and loss analysis. Bring your pocket calculator for this dynamic hands-on course!<br><br>
<b>Students must attend all class sessions in order to pass the course.
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Audio/Visual Basics
Audio-visual can either be an effective enhancement to a meeting, or it can be a distraction if not utilized properly. This course will introduce you to the basic equipment, material, technology, and techniques used in sound and visual presentations.<br><br>
<b>Students must attend all class sessions in order to pass the course.<b>
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Professional Development
You are an experienced meeting and event planner, now what? With the multi-faceted meetings industry, planners are challenged with making the right career moves, or knowing when to move at all. This course will help you decide where to take your career, and create an attainable plan for getting there. Students will be able to:<br>
<ul>
<li>Identify different career options for experienced meeting planners</li>
<li>Understand if the CMP, CSEP, or CMM credentials are right for them</li>
<li>Define their own personal brand</li>
<li>Gain skills for personal presentation and public speaking</li>
<li>Find solutions for the challenge of work/life balance</li>
<li>Create a career plan that fits their personal goals and strengths</li>
</ul>
<b>Students must attend all class sessions in order to pass the course.</b>
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Introduction to Special Events
Careful preparation is the key to orchestrating successful special events such as receptions, grand openings, and theme parties. This course will provide you with the basic guidelines and tips you need as you identify the purpose of the event, define the event's format, select a location, and develop event activities. The course covers event planning and management concepts, event themes, and creative idea development techniques.<br><br>
<b>Students must attend all class sessions in order to pass the course.<b>
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Destination Management
Large meetings and conventions require many services to successfully achieve their objectives. From transportation and registration of attendees to special event planning and staffing, meeting managers need help. Destination management companies are designed to fulfill these needs and more. This class will cover all aspects of destination management services from sales and account management through program operation. A few of the topics will include:<br>
<ul>
<li>Defining destination management and the role it plays in the meeting industry</li>
<li>Sales and account management</li>
<li>The important role that creativity and logistical skills play</li>
<li>Program operation</li>
</ul>
<b>Students must attend all class sessions in order to pass the course.<b>
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International Meeting Planning
This class is designed for meeting planners who manage programs outside the United States for U.S. or international attendees. People interested in taking this course should have some general understanding of meeting planning basics. Objectives for this course are: assessing implications of politics, religion, culture and current affairs; learning the proper etiquette and protocol to follow; understanding how to deal with language, legal and financial matters; assessing risk and dealing with safety and security issues and managing travel and the destination onsite.<br><br>
<b>Students must attend all class sessions in order to pass the course.<b>
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Weddings and Social Events
This is considered an entry level course for people considering changing careers or wanting to acquire the knowledge of what it takes to be a successful planner in the wedding and social event arena. You will learn how to identify your own personal market; what skills are needed to succeed; pricing, job responsibilities and types of themes and styles of parties and weddings. You will understand who and why people seek the skills of a professional party planner, and learn how to assess your client's needs, especially religious and cultural values that could affect the protocol of your event. You will learn how to identify the resources necessary for your event, and become familiar with the industry professionals that can provide you with those resources.<br><br>
<b>Students must attend all class sessions in order to pass the course.<b>
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Event Planning in Unique Spaces
This unique and popular all-day class continues with in-depth looks at the San Diego Museum of Art, the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center, The Prado Restaurant, and Balboa Park as a whole one day before Earth Day celebrations through the eyes of event planners. Students will have the opportunity to meet and speak with professional event planners with years of experience working in nonprofits, the wedding industry, and the tourism field. The class meets in front of the Balboa Park Carousel (next to the San Diego Zoo) at 9:00 a.m. (there is plenty of parking). Please wear comfortable shoes as there is a great deal of walking. The class includes a catered lunch at The Prado.
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