Special Events Management – EMGT 320

CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

This course will review the principles of special event management including the process of planning special events, marketing events, contract management, legal/ethical issues, and the coordinator of human, financial, and physical resources.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

Special events, via their respective infrequency, uniqueness, and high impact, operate differently than other types of social events. Special events are being utilized increasingly by corporations, NGOs, and governmental agencies, among others, to promote organizational branding, sell, promotes issues awareness, fundraise, and to recognize achievement. This course is an essential first step in training aspiring event management professionals to understand the nuances of and receive practice in the operational environment of special events planning and execution.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be at least 300 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. For each thread, the student must support his/her assertions with at least 2 scholarly citations in APA format. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 150 words.

Special Event Proposal Assignments

In order to make application of the event planning concepts discussed and explained in the course Learn materials, the student will develop a special event proposal. The student will propose an event concept that must be approved by the course instructor. Once approved, the student will go through the requisite steps to prepare the event concept for successful execution. This includes, but is not limited to, conducting a site visit to a possible host venue, formulating décor color schemes, developing the event budget and production schedule, and evaluating event risk management issues to create a risk treatment plan.

Special Event Proposal: Event Concept Proposition Assignment

The student will develop a special event that will serve as the focus of the proposal. The student will provide a detailed description of the proposed event that will be the subject of the proposal project. 

Special Event Proposal: Event Décor Color Scheme Assignment

The student will make application of the event design and color theory reading and study materials by making preliminary decisions on the visual elements of their event. 

Special Event Proposal: Venue Site Visit and Event Layout Assignment

The student will gain first-hand experience in interacting with an event venue site and juxtaposing his/her event plan with the realities of a venue’s physical space. The student will also learn about the various limitations of event venues, what elements of an event might need special permits, and why a good professional planner has a list of preferred service providers to fill in the gaps of their and the venue’s operational shortcomings.

Special Event Proposal: Event Budget Assignment

The student will synthesize the information gleaned from the previous assignments and transform it into the first major document required for transitioning the vision of an event to an actual event to be executed. 

Special Event Proposal: Food Service and Entertainment Plan Assignment

In this assignment, the student will explain his or her plan for food and beverage service and entertainment, keeping in mind the type of event they are planning, the guests who will be attending, and the overall goals and objectives of the event.

Special Event Proposal: Production Schedule/Rundown Assignment

The student will develop a production schedule that will serve as a road map for load-in through the end of the event.

Special Event Proposal: Risk Management Evaluation and Treatment Plan Assignment

The student will critically and holistically examine his/her event to identify aspects that represent some type of risk for which they could be ultimately help accountable.

Special Event Proposal: Rough Draft Assignment

The student will make improvements to the writing, grammar, formatting, and content of the various project sections predicated upon feedback received from the professor as well as any other improvements based upon additional readings, study, new information, and interactions with industry professionals. The student will also provide narrative to sections that previously had only forms turned in during the term.

Special Event Proposal: Final Draft Assignment

The student will submit the final draft of the Special Event Proposal.

Quizzes (10)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned Module(s): Week(s). Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 10 multiple-choice and true/false questions, and have a 25-minute time limit.