Whether you are new to meeting planning or a seasoned pro, SDSU's Meeting and Event Planning Certificate offers you the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills within the growing industry that includes meeting and wedding planning, as well as hosting and organizing various events. If you want to explore a new career opportunity or become more astute in your meeting and event planning 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; the meeting and event planning certificate program is for you! SDSU’s Meeting and Event Planning certificate program can help prepare you for industry certifications, like the CMP® from the Events Industry Council.
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Whether you’re planning your first events or you’re a seasoned event planner, SDSU's Meeting and Event Planning Certificate program will help you stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly-changing industry.
About the Program
Planning meetings and events is a big responsibility, no matter what your scope is. Whether you’ve been tasked with hosting department-wide meetings at work, putting together conferences, planning a wedding, or building large-scale trade shows and conventions with an international audience, you’ll need to go above and beyond in order to create experiences that are exciting, engaging, and memorable for your attendees.
$2,345
Estimated Cost
6 Months
Min. Completion Time
Online
Course Format
Meet Your Instructors
Michelle Corcoran
Program Advisor
Nonprofits and Fundraisers
Major Gifts Analyst, UC Berkeley
Tim Altbaum
AV Basics
CEO of Vario
Anthony Bollotta
Event Design and Production
President, Bollotta Entertainment
Kira Finkenberg
Festivals and Public Events
Owner and Founder of The Kira Co.
Mark Fisher
Event Marketing and Promotion
Sponsorship Program Manager, ITA Group
Gineen Fulton
Food and Beverage Planning
Account Manager, Unbridled Solutions
Mandi Graziano
Hospitality Performance Network Global
Vice President Global Accounts
Nicole Matthews
Meeting Planning Basics
Founder, The Henley Company, LLC
John Rose
Professional Development
ALTOUR/Internova
Staci Tiras-Jones
Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Galas, and Corporate Events
STJ Events
Elisa Trotter
Event Technology Tools
Sr. Implementation Consultant, CVENT
Maria Saling
Financial Management Partner
The Craft Beer Attorney
Whether you are new to meeting planning or a seasoned pro, SDSU's Professional Certificate in Meeting and Event Planning Certificate will help you expand your knowledge and skills within a rapidly-changing industry. The program can also help you prepare for event industry certifications, build your professional network, and create immersive events that will keep your clients (and their guests) happy.
I felt that the information in all my courses was very relevant to the industry, as some of the examples were used in real time. Instructors were able to explain what situations they were dealing with on a day-to-day basis.”
— Brandi Langham, Former Student
Is This Program Right for Me?
Student Discounts
Are you an SDSU Alumni Lifetime Member? If so, click here to learn more about how you can receive 20% off registration for this program.
If you’ve already completed your Certificate in Meeting and Event Planning, you’re eligible to enroll in additional courses at a 10% discount. Please email registration at enrollment.global@sdsu.edu or call to apply a program alumni discount for 10% off the registration fee.
Discounts are not retroactive and cannot be combined. Only one discount can be applied.
Whether you want to become a wedding planner, get a refresher on current industry trends, learn how to host virtual and hybrid events, or launch an exciting career in meeting and event planning, this Meeting and Event Planning Certificate will help you learn what it takes to thrive in a fast-changing industry.
SDSU’s event planning program is designed for:
- Opportunity-seekers who want to explore a new career or role
- Event planning professionals who want to become more astute in their meeting and event planning abilities
- Newcomers who are seeking help with planning a single meeting or event
- Forward-thinkers who want to find out how to grow their current career in the meeting industry
Our courses are fully-online and accessible from anywhere in the world. Instructors hold classes 2-3 nights per week, which makes it easier to fit the program into your busy schedule. You’ll be able to earn your Meeting and Event Planning Certificate in as few as six months, or take up to two years to complete the program from the year you begin the program.
I’ve gone to so many schools and lived in so many places. It’s so rare to find that community and mentorship and receive help. This is the first time in my schooling career where I really enjoy each day with all of my peers and professors.”
— Fabiola Enciso, Former Student
SDSU is a State-approved provider for the Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). If you’re unemployed or underemployed, you may be eligible to receive full or partial tuition assistance on this program. Equal Opportunity is the Law. Equal opportunity employer/program auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Click here to learn more.
What Can I Learn?
SDSU’s MEP Certificate program will help you take on the challenges facing our industry today and adapt to the changes that may come tomorrow. You’ll learn how to leverage the latest tools and technology to plan a variety of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events that excite your attendees and satisfy your clients.
The program covers a range of essential topics to help you grow your career as an event planner. You’ll build your foundation through a series of seven core courses that include focuses on:
- Catering
- Marketing and promotion
- Contracts
- Site selection
- Finances
- A/V tools and setup
In addition to the core courses, you’ll also be able to customize your curriculum with 10 different elective courses. In order to earn your Professional Certificate, you’ll need to complete 18 total hours of electives. Elective course topics include:
- Weddings and social events
- Event design
- Technology
- Planning for nonprofits/fundraisers
- Festivals/public event planning
- Conference planning
- Event safety and risk management
The program will also prepare you for a variety of industry certifications, including the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP®) certification exam from the Event Industry Council.
If you’re interested in professional development, you’ll also learn how to grow your career through several courses that focus exclusively on career planning — including Professional Development, Effective Networking and Resumes, and Starting Your Own Business. Throughout the program, you’ll also have the opportunity to make meaningful connections with classmates, instructors, and other local industry leaders. By participating in the program, you’ll also receive exclusive opportunities for experience, volunteering, and jobs. You’ll even get discounted memberships to Meeting Professionals International (MPI®) and International Live Events Association (ILEA®).
Being in the program at the same time helped me launch my business. I had some professors look over my website, I’ve had 10+ peers volunteer for my business. The program is super collaborative and the instructors have a lot of hands-on knowledge they can provide.”
— Jenn Best, Former Student
Working Towards a Bachelor’s in Hospitality from SDSU?
When you successfully complete the program and your Professional Certificate in Meeting and Event Planning, you can request to have HTM 431 waived in the upper division Hospitality and Tourism Management major at SDSU.
Please see an HTM advisor at SDSU for more information.
Career Outcomes
Labor Analysis
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners — Nationwide
16,400
Job postings in the last 12 months
+18%
Projected job growth in the next 10 years
$29,240-$88,360
Average salary range of graduates
Source: Burning Glass/Emsi, 2022
The MEP industry is experiencing seismic shifts in the ways that business is conducted. In the absence of in-person meetings and events, event planning professionals have had to get creative and find new ways to create immersive experiences for their clients. Over the past two years, we’ve seen the rapid rise of virtual events, online meetings, and scores of digital planning tools. These new industry trends have led to an increase in demand for highly-trained, well-educated professionals who know how to create events with technology.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were around 125,900 meeting, convention, and event planners employed across the country in 2020. As the event industry recovers and demands for technologically-capable planners continue to grow, those numbers are projected to increase by 18% over the next decade — much faster than the national average employment growth rate.
Compensation can be extremely varied and depends largely on your industry, location, and your level of experience. The nationwide median salary for meeting and event planners across all industries is somewhere between approximately $50,000 per year. In California, the average salary is nearly $55,000 per year.
Those who work in the meeting, convention, and event industries have many job titles, including:
- Catering Directors
- Conference Planners
- Conference Planning Managers
- Conference Services Directors
- Conference Services Managers
- Convention Services Directors
- Convention Services Managers (CSM)
- Event Coordinators
- Events Managers
- Special Events Coordinators
Why Should You Choose Us?
Accessibility
All courses are online and accessible from anywhere in the world, which makes this meeting and event planning program ideal for working professionals and busy students. You can complete the program in as few as six months, or take up to two years to complete all your courses from the year you begin the program.
Relevant Curriculum
Learn from a panel of highly-experienced industry professionals who are passionate about training the next generation of event planners to succeed. You’ll learn from a curriculum that’s continuously updated by your instructors, which means that you’ll learn what it takes to meet the demands of today’s meeting and event planning industry.
Networking Opportunities
An event planner is only as successful as his or her network. You’ll get the chance to make professional connections with your fellow classmates, instructors, and other local industry leaders. You’ll get access to exclusive volunteer and job opportunities to help you build your experience. You’ll even get discounted memberships to the San Diego Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI®) and International Live Events Association (ILEA®). The MEP program is also a proud member of MPI® and the San Diego Tourism Authority.
Want to Learn More?
Submit this web form and we’ll be in touch to answer all your questions and explain the next steps in the process. Or, you can reach a program recruiter by emailing recruiter.global@sdsu.edu or by calling (619) 594-7700.