About this course
What you’ll learn
This course will teach you how to plan and run successful events and meetings. It covers finding the right location, logistics, budgeting, and how to manage food and beverages. It emphasizes the importance of successful negotiations and risk management. The course also covers how to leverage audio/visual technology to enhance events, as well as effective marketing and communications planning. The course wraps up with insights into on-site management and post-event activities necessary for a successful event.
Learning objectives
- Understand and use basic event terminology
- Develop a complete event planning timeline with roles, responsibilities, and deadlines
- Identify the different players involved in event planning, including meeting stakeholders, vendors, and other planning partners
- Plan an event or meeting from venue sourcing to post-event survey
Who should attend?
This certificate program is specially designed for those interested in strengthening their event planning skillset or seeking to expand their career paths, including:
- event planners and meeting managers
- hospitality employees
- trainers
- lodging and restaurant personnel
- human resources managers
- seminar planners
- exhibition planners
- conference center directors
- sales and marketing managers
- administrative personnel
Continuing Education Information
Successful graduates will earn a Digital Certificate of Program Completion and be awarded 3.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) (Opens in a new window) upon successfully completing the course.
Requirements & policies
Schedule
Monday, October 20 – Online course materials access emailed
Saturday, October 25, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET (classroom)
Lunch and breaks provided
Sunday, October 26, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET (classroom)
Lunch and breaks provided
Saturday, November 1, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET (virtual)
Saturday, November 8, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET (virtual)
Saturday, November 15 – Final Project Due
Location
UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel
1197 South Lumpkin Street, Athens, GA 30602
See map: Google Maps
Virtual Sessions:
The virtual sessions will be held via Zoom.
Fees & funding information
The course fee includes all materials, as wall as the lunches and breaks during the classroom sessions.
Hotel rates
You can reserve a discounted hotel room for $149 per night using room group code 50968 (Opens in a new window) until September 24, 2025. This rate is good for both Friday and Saturday nights. After September 24, please call the Georgia Center to request a hotel room with block code 50968. If a room is available, you will receive the group rate. Be sure to mention that you are attending the Event Planning & Meeting Management Certificate course with Continuing Education.
Cancellation or refund
The Georgia Center issues refunds (minus a $150 processing fee) for cancellations made no later than 30 days prior to the start date. No refunds for cancellations after that date. If a program is canceled for any reason, the Georgia Center is not responsible for any cancellation/change charges assessed by airlines or travel agencies.
Technology
This class hosts much of the course on the UGA e-Learning Commons portal, where students submit assignments, take quizzes, download worksheets, complete discussion assignments, and submit the final project. A laptop for the onsite sessions is recommended, but not required.
Certification
The Event Planning and Meeting Management Certificate course meets the educational requirements to sit for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential. Visit the Events Industry Council webpage (Opens in a new window) to learn more about that exam.
Prerequisites
No prior event planning experience required.
Completion requirements
In order to receive the Certificate of Program Completion, participants must:
- Attend and participate in 90% of the class sessions.
- Complete all online assignments, including discussion posts.
- Earn a minimum of 80% course project.
People & organizations
Instructor
Abby Freeman is a seasoned meeting planning and exposition professional with a wealth of experience in corporate, healthcare, and association meeting and event management – from continuing medical education programs to Board of Director retreats to multi-day annual conferences. Abby is the Managing Director for Atlanta-based meeting management company Mitchell Meetings. Prior to starting Mitchell Meetings, Abby worked in the physician education department at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and as the Director of Meetings for a large medical education company.
Abby is also an award-winning Meeting Professionals International, Georgia Chapter member and served as 2019-20 President of the Board of Directors. MPI Georgia named Abby Chapter Leader of the Year in 2012 and Meeting Planner of the Year in 2009.
Supporting associations
The Event Planning and Meeting Management Certificate Program is used for the educational requirements to sit for the Certified Meeting Professional credential. Visit the Events Industry Council webpage (Opens in a new window) to learn more about that exam.
Contact us + FAQs
FAQ
View the most frequent questions asked by our learners
Cancellation Policies
View our cancellation policies
Financial and Military Assistance
Find out which programs are eligible for assistance
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