Meeting and Event Management

Courses

Major Description

The hospitality industry is the largest and fastest growing industry in the world. Diverse career opportunities await individuals who find fulfillment of guest experiences stimulating and rewarding. From the management of meetings, special events and trade shows to casino, hotel and resort operations, this exciting and dynamic industry offers starting wages that average $30,000+ and fast-track growth of up to 22% over the next decade.

The Meeting and Event Management program prepares students to enter this exciting industry. Individuals already employed as meeting planners or in tourism, hotel, casino and convention service positions will expand their career opportunities with the program's comprehensive curriculum. This field of study is the missing ingredient for individuals who want to offer premier services and guest satisfaction to many different types of customers in a variety of industry businesses, including meeting, conference and event management businesses; marketing and public relations firms; for- and non-profit corporations; golf and country clubs; casinos; resorts; and other attractions that offer food, lodging, or convention and meeting space to guests.

Who Should Participate in this Program?

The diversity and growth of the hospitality industry makes this the ideal field of study for students of all ages and life experiences. If you find hospitality and the fulfillment of guest expectations stimulating and rewarding, you will find your career among the many opportunities offered in this industry.

Nature of Work

Employment is all about the guest, their experiences, and expectations. A diverse array of career options is available.

Meeting and event managers identify, coordinate, and manage all details of meetings, conferences, trade shows, incentive trips, corporate retreats, festivals, fairs, celebrations, weddings and other life celebrations. They are drivers of success and profitability for the meetings and other events that serve as a pivotal focus for hosting organizations and groups across the globe.

Meeting and event managers are integral to management, operations and service positions in the many industries that serve these gatherings. A.A.S. students select an emphasis to enhance their opportunities in one of these sectors.

The Hospitality Management emphasis

Leads to positions in hotels, convention centers and resorts as well as more non-traditional venues:

  • Convention service staff members who manage and implement meeting logistics and assist meeting planners to bring their vision to life.
  • Front office staff that coordinate room inventory, perform nightly audits and administer guest registration and check-out services. Communication, delivery of service and in-house guest sales are integral components of these positions.
  • Group sales staff members who bring events and conventions to the venue by applying sales and marketing skills. Sales members often specialize in one or more customer market segments such as wedding, educational, corporate, etc. and promote the location's benefits to meet market segment needs.

The Casino Management emphasis

Leads to positions in casinos and other gaming venues:

  • Similar positions as in hotels, convention centers and resorts, as well as gaming-exclusive positions.
  • Casino operations staff members that service games, perform security and purchasing, as well as marketing staff who are responsible for public relations and market research.

Career Opportunities

The hospitality and tourism industry is the largest and fastest growing industry in the world. There are approximately 3.5 million hotel rooms in thousands of hotels within North America alone. Add the number of convention service venues that do not lodge guests, plus non-traditional venues such as museums, zoos and landmark building, and the number is staggering. Consider the many establishments around the globe, and it is easy to see why this is the largest industry in the world.

Ranked 39th on the list of "The 50 Best Jobs in America" by CNN/Money Magazine in April 2006, the meeting and event management segment of this industry projects 22% job growth over the next 10 years. In March 2007, CNN/Money Magazine ranked event planner eighth on the Web site's list of "Top 20 Jobs" for people who want more money, more upside, and more control over where they're going. The average income of $56,000, combined with substantial growth projection, verifies that this career is statistically well ahead of many more established occupations.

Individuals new to the industry, regardless of industry segment may anticipate a starting salary of $30,000 to $34,000. Long-term salary projections vary based upon the organization, geographic location and employment position.

Program Delivery

In the classroom or online, courses are delivered in a hands-on workshop environment using supplemental materials from actual events and group projects to provide students with a practical and dynamic learning experience. Courses are offered in a weekend format (Friday evenings/all day Saturday) or online. Full- or part-time starts are available in Fall or Spring semester. Classroom courses in this program are offered at DCTC's Apple Valley site.

Student Outcomes

Graduates new to meeting and event management will be prepared to enter the industry; meeting planners who desire to expand their career opportunities will be prepared to successfully achieve their goals in this complex and rapidly growing field. Program graduates will learn to plan and coordinate all of the details that result in meaningful, successful and well-organized meetings and special events and will be able to:

  • Research and analyze needs and objectives of the meeting host organization and attendees
  • Develop targeted and measurable objectives
  • Strategize and design the meeting and event program to meet objectives
  • Develop and track the project timeline
  • Create requests for proposals that generate a bidding competition for your meeting venues and vendors
  • Use site selection considerations to your meeting's advantage
  • Create a meeting budget and learn methods to protect the bottom line.
  • Apply the basics of good negotiating skills and discern "funny money" from the real thing
  • Select, invite and coordinate speakers and entertainment
  • Apply creativity and $-saving techniques to food and beverage planning
  • Manage space, layout effectively to maximize resources and impact
  • Create comprehensive meeting specifications that document on-site details
  • Review and critique vendor/venue work orders
  • Recognize and manage risks to people, property, income and goodwill
  • Promote your meetings and events by combining marketing and public relations expertise to achieve success
  • Find, secure and retain meeting and event sponsors to assure financial success
  • Apply event design techniques and resources to put the "wow" into your events
  • Manage trade show exhibit operations from start to finish
  • Take your meeting or event global
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of a meeting or event
  • Be aware of the many career choices and opportunities in this exciting industry
  • Learn operations of the venue environment
  • See General Education outcome statement.

Academic Advisor

Dean

  • Gary Hebert
    Dean of Customized Training, Technology and Business and Professional Development

Faculty

Jessica Bartram   jessica.bartram@dctc.edu BIO
Rosealee Lee 651-423-8604 rosealee.lee@dctc.edu BIO

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