This Distance Learning Postgraduate course is designed to provide participants with the opportunity to learn through practical, fast paced essence training.
Distance learning provides participants with;
The chance to upskill whilst studying from home via the internet
Access to industry practitioners who will provide advice and guidance throughout the course
The invaluable option to submit all course work for review before final grading allowing particpants to achieve the highest grade possible
The above listed methods of training are highly recommended for anyone wishing to pursue a career in the Events industry.
Course Content
Event Management: Event Management Planning
Growth and Emergence of the Events Industry, Identifying Event Goals and Listing Objectives, Conducting a Competitive Analysis, Create an appropriate Vision and Mission for an Event, Managing Event Planning Schedules, Feasibility Studies, Record Keeping Mechanisms, and Recruitment. Practical Activity:Take a Client Brief to identify strategic goals and event objectives.
Event Management: The Role of the Event Manager
Key Role of the Event Manager in the Planning Team, Outlining Core Roles and Responsibilities, Team Dynamics, Task and Event Timelines, Maximising Staff and Physical Resources, Planning and Coordinating Team and Suppliers, Decision Making, Contingency Planning.
Practical Activity: Assign Team Activities for Event Plans to understand the team's roles and responsibilities
Event Management: Co-ordinating Events
Developing an Event Concept, Building Effective Event Organisational Charts, Creating and Managing Duty Rosters, Analysis and Management of the Registration and Admission Process, Providing Adequate Event Security, Coordinating Event Speakers with additional Entertainment for maximum effect, Identifying Appropriate Food and Beverage Menus, Project Planning. Practical Activity: Develop an Event Checklist and Duty Roster to illustrate the roles and responsibilities of the event's team.
Event Management: Event Planning Documentation
Event Contracts and Agreements, Troubleshooting Event Co-Ordination, Preparing a SWOT Analysis to Identify the Vulnerable and Promotional Elements of the Event, Creation and Presentation of Proposals to Clients. Practical Activity: Write an Event Proposal to understand how to present the concept and overall plan of the event.
Event Management: Event Logistics Management
Key Elements of Site Planning and Inspection, Planning Event Protocol Requirements for the Team and Client, Sourcing Audio Visual and Technical Support, Creating Activity timelines for running the Event Activities. Practical Activity: Prepare Supplier and Team Activity Timeline to outline the flow of all planning and breakdown activities.
Event Management: Marketing Event Principles
Needs and Motivations of Event Customers, The Market Research Process, Effectively Collect and Analyse Market Data, Reporting the findings to the Team and Client, Elements of the Marketing Mix (Product, Price, Promotion and Place), The Pricing Process and How to Establish a Pricing Plan for your Market, Target Marketing Channels, Promote and Develop a Website and Direct Marketing Strategy. Practical Activity: Outline a Target Market Profile to understand the audience and their requirements.
Event Management: Marketing the Event
Planning the Event Proposal Strategy with Your Target Market in Mind, Preparing the Event Proposal, Sourcing and Sending Invitations, Budgeting and Buying Advertising, Publicising the Event, Organising Contests and Pre Event Campaigns, Merchandising, Packaging and Sales Promotion, Formulating a Public Relations Strategy, Conducting Market Research, Methods of Measuring Marketing Activity. Practical Activity: Write a Marketing Plan to collate all marketing activities, timelines and budgets.
Event Management: Event Budget Planning
Advantages and Constraints of Using a Budget, Identifying the Key Elements of Budgetary Control and the Relationship between Them, Forecasting Expenditure, Discount and Pricing Plans, Supplier Fees and Deposits, Understanding Basics in Profit and Loss Account. Practical Activity: Prepare an Event Budget with a goal to illustrate Event Profitability and all Coordinating, Promotional and Execution Costs.
Event Managment: Event Legal and Risk Management
Explain the Central Role of Event Ownership in Event Administration; Identify the Necessary Contracts for Events and Their Components, Obtaining Event Insurance, Managing Health and Safety, Event Risk Assessment, Copyright and Trademark Considerations. Practical Activity: Develop an Emergency Plan to understand the appropriate steps taken in unforeseen circumstances.
Event Management: Corporate Event Management
Major Impacts which Events have on their Stakeholders, Use Events to Strengthen Corporate Pride and Values, Organising Local and Global Corporate Events, Review Corporate Event Types, Events as Corporate Motivators, Managing Important Corporate Events, Determine Theme, Organising Corporate Hospitality, Negotiating Event Investment Returns, Managing Event Costs. Practical Activity: Design a Corporate Event to understand the specific requirements of this sector
Event Management: Organising Conferences
Determine Conference Goals and Objectives, Managing Speaker Requirements, Choosing Conference Sites and Locations, Working to a Budget with a Goal to Earn a Profit, Developing Marketing Strategies for Your Target Group, Creating a Feedback Form to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Event. Practical Activity: Prepare a Conference Plan that describes all participants and timelines of the event.
Event Management: Sporting Event Management
Plan a Sporting Event from Conception to Post Evaluation, Event Media Marketing and Management, Logistics that Apply Across Different Sports, Earning Event Sponsorship, Managing Corporate and/or Celebrity Hospitality, Event Operating Strategy, Organising Events Team and Onsite Staff, Admissions Management, Compliance and Protocol Procedures, Planning Awards Ceremonies. Practical Activity: Design a Sporting Event Action Plan to outline all components and timelines of the event.
Event Management: Celebrity Events
Organising Celebrity Events, Concerts and Launches, Television Related Events and Ceremonies, Fashion Shows, National Festivals, Galas, Special Themed Events, Internet Event Launches, Dealing with Celebrity Agents, handling Celebrity Wish Lists, Fireworks Displays. Practical Activity: Develop a Themed Celebrity Event to understand how to best reflect the concept goals and event structure.
Event Management: Fundraising Events
Key Drivers Behind Running the Event, Establish a Budget and Earning Target for the Event, Developing the Event Goals and Objectives, Sourcing and Working with Volunteers, Preparing an Event Action Plan for Pre, Onsite and Post Event Management, Choosing Sites and Locations, Working to a Budget, Generating Sponsorship Support. Practical Activity: Develop Marketing and Sponsorship Strategy that reflects the targets and requirements of the event.
Event Management: Government, Civic and Political Events
Major Social and Political Events, Managing VIP's, Developing Major Political Events, Understanding Protocol, Working with the Press and Government Agencies, Developing a Targeted PR Strategy to Promote the Event, Involving Interest Groups or Associations as Required. Practical Activity: Write a Formal Invitation and Information Brief that is appropriate for the public sector market.
Event Management: Event Sponsorship
Determining Potential Sponsorship Market based on the Event Type, Time, Location, Assessing Selling Points of the Event, Determining Sponsorship Fulfilment Responsibilities, Research and Set Sponsorship Pricing based on Market Factors and Event Exposure. Practical Activity: Prepare a Sponsorship Proposal that illustrates the benefits of the event and why sponsors should participate.
Event Management: Exhibition Management
Types of Exhibits and Goal for Each type, Sourcing Exhibiting Companies, Resourcing the Exhibition, Determine the Design and Layout of Booth Based on Market Dynamics, Floor Location, and Pricing Strategy. Practical Activity: Prepare an Exhibition Floor Plan and Layout Template to understand how to optimise space and traffic flow.
Event Management: Staging an Exhibition
Create a Site Plan for Layout and Design, Coordinating Onsite Traffic Flow, Develop a Set up and Breakdown Plan, Determine Decor based on Marketing Strategy, Budget and Client Profile, Review Lighting and Creative Staging. Practical Activity: Design an Onsite Theme and Floor plan to illustrate how the event will look and be activated on the premises.
Event Management: Event Evaluation and Reporting
Different Types of Evaluation Techniques, Understanding Options to Evaluate the Effectiveness of an Event, Determine How to Evaluate Speakers and Suppliers, Tabulating and Reporting on the Event's Success to the Client. Practical Activity: Prepare the Post Event Evaluation Report that outlines all successes and challenges of the event.
Eco-friendly Events
The Importance Of Making your Events Environmentally Friendly;
Benefits to your Company, Benefits to your Clients, Benefits to the Environment.
Environmental Standards & Eco-friendly Credentials;
Schemes you can adhere to, Options Available, Carbon-Neutral Events.
Types of Eco-friendly Events/Suppliers;
Eco-friendly Weddings, Eco-Friendly Conferences, Eco-Friendly Caterers,
Eco-Friendly Venues and Questions to ask them.
Public Relations
Principles of Public Relations (PR)
Review the Place for PR in Business Today, Review PR's Relationship with other Functions/Professions including Event Management, Marketing, etc. Professionalism and industry bodies PRII, PRCA, IPR. Sponsorship and Community Relations, Definitions and Historical Development of the Sponsorship Market, Why Organisations engage in Sponsorship, Using Sponsorship to Target Particular Publics. What can be sponsored? The fit between the Sponsor and the Sponsored. The Sponsorship Proposal, How Sponsorship fits in to wider PR Campaigns. Evaluating Sponsorships, Why Organisations engage in Community Relations, The Range of CR activities. Practical Activity: Prepare a Promotional Event Brief for Sponsors, which will outline the reciprocal arrangement between sponsor and event.
Online PR Module
The Social Media Landscape
Blogs, Microblogs, Chatrooms, Delicious, Email, Flickr, Twitter, Instant messaging, Message Boards, Mobile Internet , New Media Releases, Online Conferencing, Online Surveys, Pay per click, Podcasts, RSS, Search Engines, SEO, Social Networking Service Sites, Video Sharing, Virtual worlds, VoIP, Wiki and Widgets.
The Internet as a Media
Commercial Implications of the Internet, Social Interaction with the Internet, Web 2.0 and its Implications, Internet Convergence, the Network Effect, Internet Information Exchange, Internet Audience Size and Exposure, Internet Culture and Communication, Transparency and the Internet.
Online PR building blocks
Online Communications Platforms, Online Communication Channels, Online Communication Mediums, Interactivity and Application of Communication Channels, Policy, Optimisation, Monitoring and Evaluation of Online Communications Channels, Online Communications Channels Planning and Implementation.
Social Media and PR strategy
Local versus Global Communication, Landscaping Platforms, Channels and context, Online PR Organisational Analysis and Segmentation, Developing Online PR Strategies, Online PR Tactics and SEO considerations, Online PR Planning, Managing Online PR Risk and Opportunities.
Online Influences on present PR practices
Internet influence on News, Internet Journalists, Economics of Online News Production, Internet Critics and other influences, the PR Practitioner as an Online Publisher, Ethical Internet PR, Truthfulness and Duty of Care, Online Ethics, Debate, Guidelines and Best Practice.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Social Media Discourse, Trends and Value. Policy Influences, corporate speak. Implications of Social Media for Corporate Social Responsibility.
The Importance of Preparation and Research, Understanding your Audience Before you Present, Speech Content (Subject Matter and Objectives), Speech Delivery and Variety, Discuss the Importance of Body Language, Eye Contact etc, Presentation Aids e.g. Visuals, etc. Management of Locations and Audiences, Presentation Structure. Practical Activity: Design and Deliver a Presentation to learn different styles and practice your skills in a group environment.
Event Management: Planning a Press Conference
Understanding the Objectives of the Press Conference, Defining the Target Audience that Should Attend, Planning Date and Time, Selecting and Booking Venue, Listing Logistics Requirements, Developing a Speaker and Presentation Plan, Reviewing Presentation Content with your Client, Timelines and Media/Press Invitations, Managing Confirmations. Practical Activity: Plan a Press Conference with a goal of including all key elements required in a real world environment.
Event Management: Press Release Writing
Define the Format to a Press Release Structure, Date, Headline, Structure, Wording, Contact Details, Note to Editor, Structuring a Press Release (The Inverted Pyramid model), The Appropriate use of Language for Press Releases. Practical Activity: Write a Press Release to a specific market to understand how to best communicate all details required.
Practical Application
All course sections include case study examples and practical activities to ensure that key elements are understood and applied. Participants will have the opportunity to prepare real world examples of Event Management and PR proposals, briefs, evaluations, marketing plans etc.
Course Project
The projects are an important part of the course. Each course participant is given project briefs. Participants are asked at the during the course to produce an Pitch Proposals with their recommendations to the examiners. This gives participants the opportunity to use the knowledge they have obtained during the course in a focused way and develops relevant skills.
Methods of Learning
Online Lecture Modules, Subject Expert Feedback Sessions after each Module, practical case studies, end of module assignments. etc.
Subject Experts
Fitzwilliam Institute maintains a qualified panel of Subject Experts.
Who Should Apply
Anyone working in the general business sector in a senior or support role which is likely to require public relations skills, or those who wish to develop a career in this area. The course would also benefit anyone who plans to pursue a career in this vital area.
Qualifications
Successful candidates qualify for the Postgraduate Diploma in Event Management. The Postgraduate Diploma is awarded at Distinction, Credit or Pass level and is accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Ireland. The PRII's website is a www.prii.ie.
