Certificate in Meeting and Event Planning

(Available at our Richmond Center)

Meeting and event planning is an expanding profession that is properly recognized as a specialized and multifaceted area of expertise.  Every meeting and event requires careful preparation, design, and management, whether the client is a commercial business, a nonprofit organization or association, or a private party.  It is an area of opportunity that spans a broad range of industries and organizations, including corporate enterprises, professional membership associations, the hospitality industry, sporting and entertainment venues, and civic arenas and convention centers.   

Our 40-hour, non-credit certificate provides participants with practical tools and knowledge to plan and manage exceptional meetings, conferences, and events.  Program topics range from preliminary planning and needs analysis, to program design and budgeting, to site selection and on-site management.  Course instruction is supplemented with a site visit to a primary meeting and event venue, as well as with guest speakers who are leading experts and practitioners in the meeting and event planning industry.  As part of the program requirements, participants develop a complete plan for a meeting or conference. 

At the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• Plan, design, and manage successful meetings and events.


• Communicate and work effectively with internal or external clients.


• Develop professional budgets that reflect projected expenses and revenues.


• Make appropriate facility and vendor selections based on predetermined
  objectives and budgets.


• Understand contract issues and review contracts critically.


• Create an effective marketing plan to promote meetings and events.


• Understand hotel/facility operations and how to work with facility staff.


• Minimize risk associated with event planning and operation.


• Manage on-site operations effectively and efficiently.

To see if the certificate is being offered this semester, click on the link(s) below.

NCPD 038

Meeting and Event Planning Certificate

Program Contact
Richmond Center
Deonna Hall
Email:  drh4q@virginia.edu
Telephone: 804-662-7464 / 1-800-323-4882

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Read a recent article about the certificate.