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Event Management (B.S.)

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PROGRAM START: FALL 2020

Program Overview

Whether you imagine yourself running epic outdoor summer concerts, planning perfect celebrity weddings, or traveling internationally to manage global expos, we’ll help you get there with our Event Management degree.

Job growth for meeting, event and convention planners is escalating. To be a stand-out candidate for these jobs, you need to know the latest, most relevant skills, industry practices, emerging trends and technology.

Through our Event Management program you’ll learn the skills employers look for: event technology, budgeting, contracts, marketing, site selection, exhibit planning, and the effects of events on destinations, among others.

You’ll build a knowledge base about what it takes to put on a successful event. And, your courses will include a mix of business, managerial and event-relevant topics to give you the background and experience needed to succeed.

What makes JWU’s Event Management program stand out? Our faculty who share their industry expertise, and mentor and guide you while exploring the exciting areas of event management and its diverse career paths with you.

Begin your future in events now.

Appy to JWU Request Information
The ability to gain experience around the world, the ability to move seamlessly between companies, and the ability to grow rapidly in your career are all benefits of a hospitality degree. PROFESSOR REX WARREN

JWU Career Outcomes

This program is available in Providence, Denver and Charlotte. Please note that North Carolina state licensure is pending for this program in Charlotte. Contact Admissions for more info.

Sample Courses

  • Event Technology & Access Management
  • The Business of Meeting Management
  • Contemporary Issues in Event Management
  • Global Mega Events Event
  • Sales and Business Development

In addition to classes, free elective credit can be applied to a number of options such as Directed Experiential Education (DEE), internship, minor or study abroad. You are encouraged to contact an advisor before scheduling free elective credits.

Career Possibilities

Some professions may require additional study, background checks, certifications, licenses, exams and/or experience as required qualifications for employment. Students are responsible for verifying that they can meet the employment requirements of potential employers.

  • Events Specialist
  • Exhibition Coordinator
  • Meetings Manager
  • Sales & Meeting Planner
  • Travel Manager
  • Wedding Planner

Top Skills for Event Planners

Associate Professor Elizabeth Covino has been teaching event planning for more than 20 years. Here she shares what she considers essential skills for all event planners to master:

There are many transferable skills in the area of event management, but the foundation of success for lies within the following four areas. Mastering these skills early on could ensure that you are on the right track in your career.

  • Time management: In the event industry, time is money. Event scripts and critical operating calendars are tools of the trade that can keep managers on task.
  • Financial planning: Event planners need to set realistic budgets with philosophies that match the desired outcome of their clients.
  • Human resource management: Determining the right people to work an event is a human resource skill that each event manager must consider, especially when using volunteers. Proper recruitment, training, and reward of volunteers is the key when running large scale events.
  • Technology: This piece of the puzzle is ever-changing. Increasingly, event managers rely on access management software (ticketing), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and social media to manage their events and the buzz surrounding them.

Did You Know?

  • According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for meeting, convention and event planners is projected to grow at a rate of 11% during 2016 to 2026, faster than the average expected growth of 7% for all occupatons.
  • At JWU, you can add a global, hands-on educational experience to your degree. Choose from 75+ study abroad programs in 38 countries — ranging from Crete to Havana to Sydney, with topics ranging from culinary to nature-based tourism to sustainability.

JWU Study Abroad


Faculty Contacts

Providence

Patrick Leary, Ed.D., CHE
401-598-1294
Email

Denver

Sean Daly
303-256-9552
Email

Kimberly Tranter, CHE
303-256-9329
Email

Charlotte

Sunil Atreya, CHE
980-598-1524
Email

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