Postgraduate Diploma in Event Management with Arranged Work Experience - Full Time

Postgraduate Diploma in Event Management (PG Dip. Event Man.) with PR, Eco-Events, Wedding Planning and Arranged Work Experience modules (Full Time Course - 6 Months)

next enrolment date: 24 September 2013

This is a Practical Case Study Based Six-Month Postgraduate Course with Arranged Work Experience run in Dublin’s City Centre.

Ideal for students looking to enter the industry with little or no previous Event Management skills.

The in-class module offers participants exposure to a portfolio of Event types, participants work in groups on several Real World Client Briefs using their Creativity and Organisational Skills. These Projects are then presented and pitched to examiners as an experienced Event Manager would pitch to a client!

Following the In-Class modules Students then put these Practical Skills they have developed into practice during their Work Placement module! A very high percentage of the work experience placements are converted into fulltime positions within the Industry! A significant number of our past graduates are now senior figures in the Event Management industry.

The course gives participants practical and specific training and includes a substantial Public Relations module and arranged work experience.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Event Management with Public Relations module is accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Ireland and is internationally recognised.

Event Management: Event Management Planning

Growth and Emergence of the Events Industry, Identifying Event Goals and Listing Objectives, Conducting a Competitive Analysis, Create an appropriate Vision and Mission for an Event, Managing Event Planning Schedules, Feasibility Studies, Record Keeping Mechanisms, Recruitment.
Practical Activity: Take a Client Brief the to identify strategic goals and event objectives.

Event Management: The Role of the Event Manager

Key Role of the Event Manager in the Planning Team, Outlining Core Roles and Responsibilities, Team Dynamics, Task and Event Timelines, Maximising Staff and Physical Resources, Planning and Coordinating Team and Suppliers, Decision Making, Contingency Planning.
Practical Activity:Assign Team Activities for Event Plans to understand the team's roles and responsibilities

Event Management: Event Planning Documentation

Event Contracts and Agreements, Troubleshooting Event Co-Ordination, Preparing a SWOT Analysis to Identify the Vulnerable and Promotional Elements of the Event, Creation and Presentation of Proposals to Clients.
Practical Activity: Write an Event Proposal to understand how to present the concept and overall plan of the event.

Event Management: Co-Ordinating Events

Developing an Event Concept, Building Effective Event Organisational Charts, Creating and Managing Duty Rosters, Analysis and Management of the Registration and Admission Process, Providing Adequate Event Security, Coordinating Event Speakers with additional Entertainment for maximum effect, Identifying Appropriate Food and Beverage Menus, Project Planning.
Practical Activity: Develop an Event Checklist and Duty Roster to illustrate the roles and responsibilities of the event's team.

Event Management: Event Logistics Management

Key Elements of Site Planning and Inspection, Planning Event Protocol Requirements for the Team and Client, Sourcing Audio Visual and Technical Support, Creating Activity timelines for Running the Event Activities.
Practical Activity: Prepare Supplier and Team Activity Timeline to outline the flow of all planning and breakdown activities.

Event Management: Marketing Event Principles

Needs and Motivations of Event Customers, The Market Research Process, Effectively Collect and Analyse Market Data, Reporting the findings to the Team and Client, Elements of the Marketing Mix (Product, Price, Promotion and Place), The Pricing Process and How to Establish a Pricing Plan for your Market, Target Marketing Channels, Promote and Develop a Website and Direct Marketing Strategy.
Practical Activity: Outline a Target Market Profile to understand the audience and their requirements.

Event Management: Marketing the Event

Planning the Event Proposal Strategy with Your Target Market in Mind, Preparing the Event Proposal, Sourcing and Sending Invitations, Budgeting and Buying Advertising, Publicising the Event, Organising Contests and Pre Event Campaigns, Merchandising, Packaging and Sales Promotion, Formulating a Public Relations Strategy, Conducting Market Research, Methods of Measuring Marketing Activity.
Practical Activity: Write a Marketing Plan to collate all marketing activities, timelines and budgets.

Event Management: Event Budget Planning

Advantages and Constraints of Using a Budget, Identifying the Key Elements of Budgetary Control and the Relationship between Them, Forecasting Expenditure, Discount and Pricing Plans, Supplier Fees and Deposits, Understanding Basics in Profit and Loss Account.
Practical Activity: Prepare an Event Budget with a goal to illustrate Event Profitability and all Coordinating, Promotional and Execution Costs.

Event Management: Event Legal and Risk Management

Explain the Central Role of Event Ownership in Event Administration, Identify the Necessary Contracts for Events and Their Components, Obtaining Event Insurance, Managing Health and Safety, Event Risk Assessment, Copyright and Trademark Considerations.
Practical Activity: Develop an Emergency Plan to understand the appropriate steps taken in unforeseen circumstances.

Event Management: Corporate Event Management

Major Impacts which Events have on their Stakeholders, Use Events to Strengthen Corporate Pride and Values, Organising Local and Global Corporate Events, Review Corporate Event Types, Events as Corporate Motivators, Managing Important Corporate Events, Determine Theme, Organising Corporate Hospitality, Negotiating Event Investment Returns, Managing Event Costs.
Practical Activity: Design a Corporate Event to understand the specific requirements of this sector

Event Management: Organising Conferences

Determine Conference Goals and Objectives, Managing Speaker Requirements, Choosing Conference Sites and Locations, Working to a Budget with a Goal to Earn a Profit, Developing Marketing Strategies for Your Target Group, Creating a Feedback Form to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Event.
Practical Activity: Prepare a Conference Plan that describes all participants and timelines of the event.

Event Management: Sporting Event Management

Plan a Sporting Event from Conception to Post Evaluation, Event Media Marketing and Management, Logistics that Apply Across Different Sports, Earning Event Sponsorship, Managing Corporate and/or Celebrity Hospitality, Event Operating Strategy, Organising Events Team and Onsite Staff, Admissions Management, Compliance and Protocol Procedures, Planning Awards Ceremonies.
Practical Activity: Design a Sporting Event Action Plan to outline all components and timelines of the event.

Event Management: Celebrity Events

Organising Celebrity Events, Concerts and Launches, Television Related Events and Ceremonies, Fashion Shows, National Festivals, Galas, Special Themed Events, Internet Event Launches, Dealing with Celebrity Agents, handling Celebrity Wish Lists, Fireworks Displays
Practical Activity: Develop a Themed Celebrity Event to understand how to best reflect the concept goals and event structure.

Event Management: Government and Political Events

Major Social and Political Events, Managing VIP's, Developing Major Political Events, Understanding Protocol, Working with the Press and Government Agencies, Developing a Targeted PR Strategy to Promote the Event, Involving Interest Groups or Associations as Required.
Practical Activity: Write a Formal Invitation and Information Brief that is appropriate for the public sector market.

Event Management: Fundraising Events

Key Drivers Behind Running the Event, Establish a Budget and Earning Target for the Event, Developing the Event Goals and Objectives, Sourcing and Working with Volunteers, Preparing an Event Action Plan for Pre, Onsite and Post Event Management, Choosing Sites and Locations, Working to a Budget, Generating Sponsorship Support.
Practical Activity: Develop Marketing and Sponsorship Strategy that reflects the targets and requirements of the event.

Event Management: Event Sponsorship

Determining Potential Sponsorship Market based on the Event Type, Time, Location, Assessing Selling Points of the Event, Determining Sponsorship Fulfilment Responsibilities, Research and Set Sponsorship Pricing based on Market Factors and Event Exposure.
Practical Activity: Prepare a Sponsorship Proposal that illustrates the benefits of the event and why sponsors should participate.

Event Management: Exhibition Management

Types of Exhibits and Goal for Each type, Sourcing Exhibiting Companies, Resourcing the Exhibition, Determine the Design and Layout of Booth Based on Market Dynamics, Floor Location, Pricing Strategy.
Practical Activity: Prepare an Exhibition Floor Plan and Layout Template to understand how to optimise space and traffic flow.

Event Management: Staging an Exhibition

Create a Site Plan for Layout and Design, Coordinating Onsite Traffic Flow, Develop a Set up and Breakdown Plan, Determine D?cor based on Marketing Strategy, Budget and Client Profile, Review Lighting and Creative Staging.
Practical Activity: Design an Onsite Theme and Floor Plan to illustrate how the event will look and be activated on the premises.

Event Management: Event Evaluation and Reporting

Different Types of Evaluation Techniques, Understanding Options to Evaluate the Effectiveness of an Event, Determine How to Evaluate Speakers and Suppliers, Tabulating and Reporting on the Event's Success to the Client.
Practical Activity: Prepare the Post Event Evaluation Report that outlines all successes and challenges of the event.

Eco-friendly Events

The Importance Of Making your Events Environmentally Friendly;
Benefits to your Company, Benefits to your Clients, Benefits to the Environment. Environmental Standards & Eco-friendly Credentials; Schemes you can adhere to, Options Available, Carbon-Neutral Events. Types of Eco-friendly Events/Suppliers; Eco-friendly Weddings, Eco-Friendly Conferences, Eco-Friendly Caterers, Eco-Friendly Venues and Questions to ask them.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Principles of Public Relations (PR), Review the Place for PR in Business Today, Review PR's Relationship with other Functions/Professions including Event Management, Marketing, etc. Professionalism and industry bodies PRII, PRCA, IPR.

Sponsorship and Community Relations

Definitions and Historical Development of the Sponsorship Market, Why Organisations engage in Sponsorship, Using Sponsorship to Target Particular Publics. What can be Sponsored? The fit between the Sponsor and the Sponsored. The Sponsorship Proposal, How Sponsorship fits in to wider PR Campaigns. Evaluating Sponsorships, Why Organisations engage in Community Relations, The Range of CR activities.
Practical Activity: Prepare a Promotional Event Brief for Sponsors which will outline the reciprocal arrangement between sponsor and event.

Online PR Module

The Social Media Landscape

Blogs, Microblogs, Chatrooms, Delicious, Email, Flickr, Twitter, Instant messaging, Message Boards, Mobile Internet , New Media Releases, Online Conferencing, Online Surveys, Pay per click, Podcasts, RSS, Search Engines, SEO, Social Networking Service Sites, Video Sharing, Virtual worlds, VoIP, Wiki and Widgets.
Practical Activity: Create a Social Networking PR Campaign for an Established Brand.

The Internet as a Media

Commercial Implications of the Internet, Social Interaction with the Internet, Web 2.0 and its Implications, Internet Convergence, the Network Effect, Internet Information Exchange, Internet Audience Size and Exposure, Internet Culture and Communication, Transparency and the Internet.
Practical Activity: Create a Strategic Client Plan which Identifies the difference between the uses of the Internet as PR Media and traditional PR Strategies.

Online PR building blocks

Online Communications Platforms, Online Communication Channels, Online Communication Mediums, Interactivity and Application of Communication Channels, Policy, Optimisation, Monitoring and Evaluation of Online Communications Channels, Online Communications Channels Planning and Implementation.
Practical Activity: Develop an Online Communications Strategy for a client scenario and indicate how it adds benefit to a traditional communications strategy.

Social Media and PR strategy

Local versus Global Communication, Landscaping Platforms, Channels and context, Online PR Organisational Analysis and Segmentation, Developing Online PR Strategies, Online PR Tactics and SEO considerations, Online PR Planning, Managing Online PR Risk and Opportunities.
Practical Activity: Identify Online PR tools for a client brief and indicate the added value to a traditional PR Campaign.

Online Influences on present PR practices

Internet influence on News, Internet Journalists, Economics of Online News Production, Internet Critics and other influences, the PR Practitioner as an Online Publisher, Ethical Internet PR, Truthfulness and Duty of Care, Online Ethics, Debate, Guidelines and Best Practice.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Social Media Discourse, Trends and Value. Policy Influences, corporate speak. Implications of Social Media for Corporate Social Responsibility.
Practical Activity: Create and compare an online CSR Plan and identify the fundamental benefits versus a traditional CSR Plan.

Wedding Planning

Planning a Wedding, Timelines and Itinerary, Wedding Legalities, Budgets, Wedding Ceremony, Reception, Venue Sourcing, Supplier Sourcing Logisitics, Creating & Marketing Wedding Planning Consultancy.

Presentation Skills

The Importance of Preparation and Research, Understanding your Audience Before you Present, Speech Content (Subject Matter and Objectives), Speech Delivery and Variety, Discuss the Importance of Body Language, Eye Contact etc, Presentation Aids e.g. Visuals, etc. Management of Locations and Audiences, Presentation Structure.
Practical Activity: Design and Deliver a Presentation to learn different styles and practice your skills in a group environment.

Planning a Press Conference

Understanding the Objectives of the Press Conference, Defining the Target Audience that Should Attend, Planning Date and Time, Selecting and Booking Venue, Listing Logistics Requirements, Developing a Speaker and Presentation Plan, Reviewing Presentation Content with your Client, Timelines and Media/Press Invitations, Managing Confirmations.
Practical Activity: Plan a Press Conference with a goal of including all key elements required in a real world environment.

Press Release Writing

Define the Format to a Press Release Structure, Date, Headline, Structure, Wording, Contact Details, Note to Editor, Structuring a Press Release (the inverted pyramid model), The Appropriate use of Language for Press Releases.
Practical Activity: Write a Press Release to a specific market to understand how to best communicate all details required.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

All course sections include case study examples and practical activities to ensure that key elements are understood and applied. Participants will have the opportunity to prepare real world examples of Event Management and PR proposals, briefs, evaluations, marketing plans etc.

Event Management: Course Project

The course project is a critical part of the curriculum as it requires participants to apply all practical event management techniques learned in the program. Groups are formed and each group is given the detailed project brief and event requirements. The groups are then asked to present their recommendations to the examiners towards the end of the programme. Practical guidance will be offered throughout the course by lecturers and practitioners to ensure that theoretical learning is translated into practical proposals.

Personal Development

A special feature throughout the programme is the time devoted to the personal development of each individual. This includes an initial personal consultation to assess each individual and to discuss and establish future goals and aspirations. This is followed by careful preparation of a Curriculum Vitae so that each participant has a clear and well-presented CV to submit to potential employers. Other key areas in the Personal Development programme include communication skills, assertiveness training and the importance of attitude and motivation. Personal counselling is provided as required throughout the course.

Practical Work Experience

During the second part of the course placements are arranged with companies and organisations that can give course participants practical experience in the work areas in which they want to develop their careers. This phase of the course is closely monitored with regular assessment visits being made to each student and host company supervisor. It is expected that a significant percentage of these placements will lead to employment.

Methods of Training

This course offers practical industry learning through: Lectures, Discussions, Role-Plays, Practical Exercises, Projects, Case Studies, etc.

Lecturers

The Event Management Courses maintains a panel of qualified and motivated lecturers who work as a team monitoring each student's progress.

Qualifications

Successful candidates qualify for the Postgraduate Diploma in Event Management. The Postgraduate Diploma is awarded at Distinction, Credit or Pass level and is accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Ireland.

Who Should Apply

Graduates or mature applicants who are interested in developing a career in Event Management. Selection is based on consultation and academic achievement. Early application is advisable as places are limited. If you wish to be considered for this course please download the application form here and forward it to us at info@fitzwilliaminstitutegroup.ie and contact us on 01 2834579 to arrange a consultation.

Possible Careers

Career opportunities in Event Management exist in the corporate, public and not for profit sectors, on the client side and on the consultancy side. Graduates of this programme may have Event Management as a main or secondary responsibility while also working in another area such as marketing, promotions, sales, sponsorship, etc. for an organisation. The course takes these possibilities into consideration.

Venue

The Capel Building, Dublin 1.

Times / Duration

Tuition is given Monday to Friday 10.30am to 4.00pm, over twelve weeks with the practical work experience phase of the course lasting approximately twelve weeks.

Students are required to attend all lectures and to be punctual at all times. If a student does not conform to these requirements or is disruptive in any way, he/she may be dismissed from the course.

The course project features Real Life Briefs which are a critical part of the curriculum. It requires participants to apply all practical techniques they've learned in the program in a Real Life Context.

Practical guidance will be offered throughout the course to ensure that theoretical learning is translated into practical proposals.

The Public Relations Institute of Ireland

The Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) is dedicated to promoting the professional practice of public relations in Ireland, and to serving the best interests of people working in the profession.

Fitzwilliam Institute Group, have been Course Directors for the PRII for the past twenty years. We have been major contributors to improvements to the syllabus, adding cutting edge modules as needed in the industry.

The Institute seeks:

  • Wider recognition of the role of public relations in business
  • Higher standards of professionalism
  • Better qualifications for PR practitioners
  • To be an effective forum for members to share common interests and experiences

Members

There are currently over 1,000 members of the PRII. They comprise public relations and communication professionals drawn from consultancies, industry, government, semi-state, voluntary and business organisations. The depth and scope of our members' backgrounds and working briefs reflect a considerable broadening of the role and responsibilities of PR professionals from the traditional media relations base, and highlight its cross-functionality with a variety of disciplines including journalism, advertising, marketing, legal, financial, healthcare and commercial functions.

Members of the Institute subscribe to the Code of Lisbon, the Code of Athens and the PRII Code of Practice for Public Affairs and Lobbying. These codes seek to promote integrity and clear understanding in the implementation of public relations programmes and closely reflect the overall objectives of the PRII itself.

International representation

The Institute is affiliated to CERP - the European Public Relations Confederation - and is also a member of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management. Global Alliance is a collaborative framework of national and international public relations associations dedicated to strengthening the public relations profession and its practitioners throughout the world

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Start Date: 24 September 2013

€3,950

There is an additional charge of €190 to cover examination costs.

Fees are payable as follows; 20% deposit payment within 7 days of receiving course offer letter and the remaining balance 30 days prior to course start date.  All fees must be paid before the course begins.

Fees may be paid by cheque, bank draft, credit card, laser card, bank transfer or online through our Course Payments Page.

The Fitzwilliam Institute Group closes on Bank Holidays and for a number of days at Christmas and New Year. The Fitzwilliam Institute Group reserves the right to postpone, cancel or alter courses without notice or to change any of the details in this brochure. Fees are not refundable unless the course is cancelled by the Fitzwilliam Institute Group. Distance Learning courses are provided by the Fitzwilliam Institute Ltd.