Distance learning studies in planning and managing events
An essential foundation course for students seeking to start an event management business, or for career and professional development.- Learn the processes of planning and managing successful events.
- Understand a full range of subject areas essential to managing events, including marketing, budgeting, health and safety, managing the delivery of food and beverages, and much more.
- Develop your abilities to use different research methods and assess research findings.
- Develop key project management skills.
- Learn about the processes to achieve desired outcomes.
- Specialise in areas of interest to you with a wide selection of Elective Modules.
What do Graduates of Event Management do?
- Sub-contract services to organisers of shows, conferences, concerts etc., on an event by event basis.
- Start their own business (Wedding planner, Party planner, Exhibition company, Conference organiser, etc.).
- Work in a larger established exhibition company.
- Work for hotels, reception centres, exhibition and conference venues, sporting venues or other enterprises involved with provision of events.
- Work for public or non profit bodies involved with running events such as festivals, celebrations, receptions, etc.
COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT
- Study 8 Core Modules and then choose 6 Elective Modules.
The Core modules cover Business Studies, Event Management, Project Management, Leisure Facility Management I, Food and Beverage Management, Workplace Health and Safety, Marketing Foundations, and Research Project I.
Then choose 6 Electives from – Leisure Facility Management II, Tourism I, Bar Service, Adventure Tourism, Leadership, Personnel Management, Industrial Psychology, Entrepeneurship, Business Planning, Financial Management, Bookeeping I, Sales Management, Advertising And Promoting, Motivation.
All modules for the Associate Diploma In Event Management are summarised below. Follow the title link for further information on each.
THE CORE MODULES
The Core Modules are to be completed by all students.
An 8 lesson module on how to establish and manage a business. Business don’t just happen and a good idea alone does not make a successful business. Businesses need proper planning, procedures, strategies, and controls. This module addresses these areas by looking at how a business may be established and managed. The module includes lessons on the management of staff, communications and how to address and resolve problems. Financial management and a review of marketing techniques completed the lessons in this module.
The lessons:
1. Establishment Procedures
2. Management Procedures
3. Communication in Business
4. Problem Solving
5. Staff Management
6. Productivity
7. Financial Management
8. Marketing Techniques
Learn to plan, create, manage, and evaluate a successful equine-related event in sport, recreation, tourism, agriculture, or other area. This 9 lesson module takes you through the processes involved with planning, organising, and managing an event. Students will understand the primary elements to holding an event – why hold an event, what type of event, where it should be held, and who the event will be supported by. An event, for example, can be held to showcase someone’s business, or to bring like- minded businesses and customers together, but if it is not arranged or staged appropriately the desired outcome will not be achieved.
The lessons:
1. Scope and Nature of Event Management
2. Developing the Concept
3, Physical and Human Resources
4. Project Logistics
5. Marketing an Event
6. Financial Management
7. Risk Management
8. Staging the Event
9. After the Event
The Project Management module comprises 9 lessons. In order to develop a business, or operate within a contractual environment, managers need to possess the skillset that enables them to introduce and manage projects of change. The module covers key areas which include the identification and planning of projects, and the strategy for the implementation of projects. The lessons will impart the knowledge for students to develop their leadership and personnel skills, considering the different types of leadership skills as well as looking at how conflicts and problems may be effectively resolved. The module is concluded with a special assignment where the student will develop a full suite of documentation for a planned project.
The lessons:
1. Introduction
2. Project Identification
3. Project Planning
4. Project Implementation
5. Project Completion Evaluation
6. Technical Project Management Skills
7. Leadership Skills
8. Improving Key Personnel Skills
9. Major Assignment
This 13 lesson module provides a comprehensive introduction to the management and development of leisure facilities. Subjects cover the nature of recreation and fitness facilities, legal requirements during construction, the management of minor construction projects and evaluating fitness and recreation equipment. Students will develop the necessary skills to enable them to manage the day to day operations of facilities, including bookings management, safety, contingencies, insurance and much more.
The lessons:
1. The Scope of Recreation Facility Management
2. The Nature of Recreation Facility Management
3. Legal Requirements for Construction
4. Planning Construction Work
5. Indoor Equipment
6. Outdoor Equipment
7. Safety Procedures
8. Equipment Needs
9. Purchasing
10. Bookings
11. Contingencies
12. Insurance Issues
13. Managing a Recreation Facility
This 9 lesson module is concerned with developing the student’s knowledge of nutrition, food preparation, beverages, and the running of catering facilities. Student’s will learn about the different food groups, and nutritional values of foods, including vitamins and mineral content, as well as learning about different allergies to food. The module features a lesson on food preparation and cooking, enabling the student to understand the different types of cooking as well as which types best maintain the nutritional values of foods. With their knowledge of the different food groups and ways of cooking, students will look at planning menus for a variety of applications, including school children, the elderly, expectant mothers, and vegetarians. The module includes lessons on the beverages that might be served to accompany meals, managing kitchens and foods, as well as catering services and the management of personnel.
The lessons:
1. Human Food and Nutrition
2. Cooking
3. Kitchen and Food Management
4. Planning A Menu
5. Alcoholic Beverages
6. Tea, Coffee and Non-Alcoholic
7. Scope and Nature Of Catering Services
8. Personnel Management
9. Management Of Catering Services
Working through this 10 lesson module, students will learn about legislative requirements of health and safety, and their duty of care to those in their employ and around them. Lessons look at the types and applications of protective equipment available, as well as the handling of chemicals, equipment, and objects. The module includes lesson content on working in different situations – at computer work stations, and working alone, and is completed with topic areas of hazard identification and risk management.
The lessons:
1. Introduction
2. Legislation
3. Protective Equipment
4. Handling Chemicals
5. Handling Equipment
6. Handling Objects
7. Using Computer Work Stations
8. Working Alone
9. Standards and Rules
10. Signs and Signals
Students will learn to plan and conduct research into the current status of an aspect of the equine industry relating to their area of study, and complete a descriptive report based on that research.
The 7 lessons are:
1. Determining Research Needs
2. Searching For Information
3. Research Methods
4. Using Statistics
5. Conducting Statistical Research
6. Research Reports
7. Reporting On A Research Project.
THE ELECTIVE MODULES
Students are to select 6 Elective Modules from the following - a listing for the lessons in these modules can be found at the end of this page:
Leisure Facility Management II
Tourism I
Bar Service
Adventure Tourism
Leadership
Personnel Management
Industrial Psychology
Entrepreneurship
Business Planning
Financial Management
Bookkeeping Foundations
Sales Management
Advertising and Promoting
Motivation
The Scope of Event Management
Event management involves the management of any occasion that happens at a given time. Management of an event can be a complex and involved task, depending, of course, on the type and size of the event. Although extremely large events such as the Olympic Games require many years of preparation to succeed, the planning and preparation phase of any event will always require at least 60 – 80% of the total time involved in staging the event. The same principals will apply no matter how small or large the event being planned.
Events have become a way of life in today’s society, and are used to recognise special occasions whether public or private. Most societies throughout the world use organised events as a form of expression, whether it is for public grief, private celebration, as a show of strength or solidarity, to welcome others and so on. Today, organised events are used to help create business image, launch products, and to celebrate milestones and change. Organised events can also reflect a society’s position in the world or demonstrate public opinion. For instance, public response to incidents that occur in their own country or internationally may also instigate an organised event (e.g. fund raising for a natural disaster).
Events can be profound and moving (e.g. inauguration of a country’s new leader) or be a mark of respect for lives lost through earthquakes, flood, war or other dramatic occurrence. They can be intimate and private (e.g. a wedding), or a large public celebration (e.g. federation, a coronation, independence etc.). Whether large or small, these events present an opportunity for a well-organised Event Manager to take a leading role.
What is Event Management?
Event management is the process of making an event happen, from planning to the staging of the event to the conclusion of the process.
Event managers need to have a firm understanding of the event planned and the reasons for holding it: the What, Where, Why and Who?
- What type of event is to be held and what is the budget?
- Where is it to be held?
- Why is the event being held?
- Who is the event being held for, who are the supporters, and who is to be involved?
A well-managed event will meet the needs of its patrons. Private clients who use event managers to plan and implement their event will often have pre-set ideas on how the event should be run and may have very high expectations. They pay the Event Manager to ensure that all their ideas will work and the event lives up to their expectations. They may also expect the organiser to come up with a range of innovative and interesting ideas. This requires skills beyond those of an organisational and management nature.
An example may be a birthday party for a very wealthy client. The client may expect the Event Manager to show an extraordinary depth of imagination i.e. in the decorations used, the layout of the room, the menu planning and so on. The wealthy client may want the ‘party to beat all parties’. Second best may not be good enough.
It is wise for the event manager, irrelevant of the size and nature of the event, to use the approach: ‘That’s good enough’ is not good enough. Aim for excellence. Developing an excellent reputation is the best way to ensure ongoing work.
Event management also includes planning and organising the supply of equipment, materials and services well ahead of time. Careful planning enables the use of alternative resources should any of these resources prove be to be difficult to obtain.
Publicising the event is also important, and will encourage attendance. Even a visually pleasing pamphlet or leaflet to promote the event will go a long way to encourage people to attend. Publicising should begin well in advance of the event, as that will give people the opportunity to attend by planning their lives around the event. Creating publicity well ahead of time will allow:
- Marketing to be effective with a good ‘lead in time’.
- Advertising to be booked well in advance i.e. advertisers sell space many months before publication.
- People travelling from other cities or regions to organise their commitments and plan for accommodation, transport or any other needs with ample time.
Career Opportunities
There are many opportunities for event managers. Event managers may become involved in organising a wide variety of events. Some specialise in organising a particular type of event; and others will organise anything.
Events can include:
- Private functions (e.g. celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, etc.).
- Sports events (from small local events to large international events).
- Concerts.
- Conferences and Seminars.
- Tours.
- Business functions (e.g. product launches).
- Trade exhibitions.
- Art Shows.
- and more …
Salaries can vary tremendously, depending on the role you play, your experience, and the scope of the event. For example if you are working as an events manager for a friend’s 50th birthday celebration you may receive a low wage. However if you run your own business, or manage medium to large scale events you may receive significant wages.
Most event managers work in private sector businesses, but some can also work in the public sector. There are risks and challenges in running any business, so you will be faced with these if you run your own business. Most notably for this industry is that since it is event based work can be sporadic. You may have fluctuations in the amount of work that you have on, for example you may be inundated with weddings during summer but quiet during winter, or you may be overwhelmed with Christmas functions then quiet again through January. You may also find the hours can be challenging. You may have to work long hours leading up to and during an event which can be exhausting.
As an events manager you deal with managing many details, and this can be challenging, especially when things go wrong. You will also be dealing with all sorts of different people, from clients, to guests, to staff. Particularly in the case of clients, the events can be times of high stress for them, so they may be challenging to deal with. You will need to have good inter-personal skills to be able to deal with everyone involved.
How to become an Event Manager
Sometimes event managers may start their career working for a larger company that continuously organises and manages events, perhaps a concert promoter, an exhibition company or even a reception centre.
Often your career can start out by setting up and running your own business on a small scale. Before starting out though, you will need a good understanding of what's involved. You also need to develop networks, and have a good level of small business management skills.
HOW THE COURSE WORKS
You can start the course at any time.
It is studied by distance learning, so you can study in the comfort of your own home. But this doesn't mean you are all alone in your studies. Our highly qualified and friendly tutors are there to help you every step of the way. If you have any questions at all, they are always happy to help.
Each lesson includes set tasks, and is completed with an assignment which the student submits to their course tutor. The tutor will mark the assignment and return this to the student with comments and suggestions for further reading.
HOW THE ASSOCIATE DIPLOMA IS ASSESSED
The Associate Diploma In Event Management requires approximately 1,500 hours of study. It is made up of fourteen 100-hour modules, a research project and 100 hours of industry experience/work experience.
To pass the course –
- Pass all assignments on the 100-hour modules. There will be an assignment at the end of each lesson to submit to your tutor for marking and feedback.
- Pass 13 examinations – one on each module. These are usually taken at the end of the module and can be arranged at a time and location to suit you.
- Complete Research Project I.
- Complete a Workplace Project. The project should last around 100 hours. There are four options available to you to satisfy this requirement. Don’t worry if you are not sure at this stage, your tutor will be there to help you every step of the way. This include evidence of work experience or other studies or workshops, a research project or completion of Workshop I.
STUDYING WITH ACS
Quality courses - expert tuition - unlimited support.
At ACS we provide you with more than just a set of course notes.
Your 'learning package' includes:
- Course notes.
- Self-assessment quizzes.
- Assignment feedback.
- You can interact one on one with a professional tutor with decades of experience - just email, phone or log on to chat to connect with them.
Enrolling is easy - just select your payment option and study method - choose the online option for a 5% discount on the course cost.
ANY QUESTIONS?
Our expert tutors are more than happy to help and advise you with any questions regarding the course. Please get in touch with our specialist Hospitality tutors today.
If you are looking to advance your career or start a business in Event Management then studying the Associate Diploma In Event Management will provide you with a great depth of knowledge and applicable skills. Study when and where you want to - fit your studies around your existing work commitments. Why delay? Enrol today!
THE ELECTIVE MODULES: LESSON LISTING
Leisure Facility Management II
The 13 lessons are:
1. Introduction to Facility Management
2. Water Facilities
3. Sports Turf Facilities
4. Gymnasiums
5. Public Buildings
6. Toilets and Locker Rooms
7. Introduction to Design
8. Ergonomics
9. Outdoor Facilities
10. Indoor Facilities
11. Interior Design
12. Equipment Design
13. Managing Construction
Tourism I
The 10 lessons are:
1. Travel Industry Overview/Introduction
2. Destinations
3. Money, Insurance And Legalities
4. Transport - Airline Reservations
5. Transport - Car Rental
6. Transport - Other
7. Accommodation
8. Package Tours
9. Travel Agency Systems
10. Special Project
Bar Service
The 7 lessons are:
1. Introduction
2. Alcoholic Product orientation
3. Non Alcoholic Drinks
4. Service Procedures
5. Mixing Drinks
6. Wine Appreciation
7. Establishing a Bar Service
Adventure Tourism
The 8 lessons are:
1. Scope and nature of Adventure tourism
2. The Product - Sources & Types
3. Management
4. The Customer
5. Locations And Facilities - Artificial environments
6. Locations And Facilities - Natural
7. Ethics, Sustainability And Environmental Impacts
8. Risk Management And Insurance
Leadership
The 7 lessons are:
1. Introduction
2. Leadership Characteristics/Qualities
3. Interpersonal Relationships
4. Communication Skills
5. Team Building
6. Systematic and Lateral Thinking
7. Applications
Personnel Management
The 10 lessons are:
1. Human Behaviour
2. Workplace Communications
3. Workplace Conditions
4. Controlling Operations
5. Recruitment and Induction
6. Staff Training
7. Work Teams
8. Positive Discipline
9. Grievances and Complaints
10. Monitoring and Reporting
Industrial Psychology
The 10 lessons are:
1. Introduction
2. Understanding the Employees Thinking
3. Personality And Temperament
4. Psychological Testing
5. Management And Managers
6. The Work Environment
7. Motivation And Incentives
8. Recruitment
9. Social Considerations
10. Abnormalities and Disorders
Entrepreneurship
The 10 lessons are:
1. Scope And Nature Of Entrepreneurship
2. Is Entrepreneurship Right for You
3. Assessing Opportunities
4. The Role Of Market Research
5. Intellectual Property
6. Legal And Ethical Concerns
7. Operating A Business
8. The Business And Financial Plan
9. Marketing
10. Launching A Venture
Business Planning
The 11 lessons are:
1.Introduction to Business Planning
2. Focus and Direction
3. Legal and Administrative Requirement
4. Developing Objectives and Strategies
5. Planning for Growth
6. Risk Management and Contingencies
7. Systems
8. Marketing Plans
9. Operation Plans
10. Human Resource Plans
11. Financial Plans
Financial Management
The 10 lessons are:
1. Financial Terminology
2. Planning And Managing Your Money
3. Borrowing Money
4. All About Buying
5. The Money Market And How it Works
6. Investing
7. Superannuation
8. Cutting Costs
9. Banks
10. Communication
Bookkeeping Foundations
The 13 lessons are:
1. Introduction – Nature, Scope and Function of Bookkeeping
2. The Balance Sheet
3. Analysing and Designing Accounting Systems
4. The Double Entry Recording Process
5. The Cash Receipts and Cash Payments Journal
6. The Credit Fees and Purchases Journal
7. The General Journal
8. Closing the Ledger
9. The Profit and Loss Statement
10. Depreciation on Non-current Assets
11. Profit Determination and Balance Day Adjustments
12. Cash Control: Bank Reconciliation and Petty Cash
13. Cash Control: Budgeting
Sales Management
The 9 lessons are:
1. Developing Sales Concepts
2. Developing Sales Relationships
3. Sales Ethics
4. Building Product Knowledge
5. Developing A Customer Strategy
6. Presentation Strategy Options
7. Closing A Sale
8. Managing Yourself
9. Managing A Sales Team
Advertising And Promoting
The 10 lessons are:
1. Analysing The Market
2. Target Marketing
3. Display And Display Techniques
4. Advertising And Promotions Strategy
5. New Product Development
7. Writing Advertisement
8. Electronic Marketing
9. Direct Mailing
10. Exhibitions And Shows
Motivation
The 8 lessons are:
1. Introduction
2. Awareness
3. Tangible Rewards
4. Intangible Rewards
5. Negative Motivators
6. Initiating Motivation
7. Maintaining Motivation
8. Applications