Building Careers in Event Management – Festival and Conference

The business of special events, including festivals and conferences, has grown enormously

not only in Canada but also internationally. This sector now significantly contributes to the

tourism industry, both in terms of revenue as well as employment. This means that event

management is a continuously evolving field and will continue to generate employment in

the times to come. Consequently, it can be said that the current is the best time to enter the

industry and build a rewarding career.

Building Careers in Event Management

Event tourism and festival management is an evolving profession. They are a major catalyst

for tourism across local, national and global markets. It is expected that this sector will

produce around 121,000 new jobs by 2015, which is near future. If you’re also looking to

seek an entry in this field, you may consider taking a course in event management – festival

and conference. Typically, it is a one-year graduate certificate program that introduces you

to various aspects of event management. Besides, you will gain skills necessary to ensure

smooth operation of events.

The event management program prepares you for employment in hotels, convention and

conference centres, corporations, festivals, tourism and non-profit organizations, arts and

cultural organizations, sports and recreational organizations and event marketing

management. You can also choose to be self employed and establish your own event

management business.

Program Details

A postgraduate event management runs through two semesters and covers a wide range of

subjects. It’s short but an intensive program where you’ll be prepared to plan, design and

coordinate effective site and facility operations and create, plan and implement effective

programming for events. You also learn to apply accounting and financial knowledge and

skills for smooth operation of events. In addition, you are taught to develop and implement

financial initiatives based on event objectives through various methods, including

fundraising initiatives and sponsorship programs.

During the program tenure, you study subjects like event marketing – festival and

conference, volunteer and team building coordination, networking and industrial relations,

sponsorship development, event budgeting, introduction to event, festival and conference,

risk and security management, programming community and cultural festivals, events and

conferences, and risk and security management, site logistics and operations management,

creativity and innovation, communications and media planning, and greening your festival,

event and conference.

Choosing an Event Management College

There are numerous colleges in Toronto that offer event management programs for

graduates. Unfortunately, not all are accredited. And most of them don’t offer good

employment prospects. Centennial College’s program is accredited by UNWTO TedQual and

exhibits high standards of learning. The event management college meets all the required

standards when it comes to program curriculum, qualifications of faculty members and

teaching methodology. Besides, college-industry partnership helps you in seeking

employment right after graduation.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to apply for this particular program, you will need a college diploma or university

degree in hospitality, tourism or related discipline. If you have prior experience working in a

related field, then you’ll be required to submit your resume.

Your application will be considered even if you have a degree or diploma in an unrelated

field but have related work experience. Apart from this, you can also apply if you have a

partial post-secondary education and relevant work experience in hospitality.