How to Keep Event and Meeting Skills Sharp
What can event and meeting pros do to keep their skills relevant and up-to-date? Even in pre-pandemic times, continuing education and professional development were paramount.
And as our industry continues to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, the need is even higher.
Our goal is to provide our community with the resources and timely insights to stay informed. Check out these resources to keep your skills sharp for the rest of 2020 and into 2021.
Business Owner Mentorship Program
If you were to ask accomplished professionals how they achieved success, many would say they had a mentor who helped guide them throughout their professional journey.
With many event agency owners and other event professionals facing challenges like those never seen before, we’ve announced a new Business Owner Mentorship Program.
The free program provides coaching, consulting, and other support to those negatively impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic – think of the initiative as an auxiliary advisory board or second set of eyes.
As many business owners have been through difficult crises before, ELI will work to connect volunteer mentors with business owners seeking guidance. Matches will be based on the size and type of business, and challenges faced. Once matched, mentors will offer approximately two hours of consulting/coaching support to their mentees.
Learn more about the program or apply as a mentor or mentee.
ELI Fall Certificate Courses
Registration is now open for our fall professional development courses!
Learn what it takes to produce virtual events and meetings – including virtual fundraisers. Start the process of preparing and planning for the return of modified in-person events or brush up on your technical production knowledge.
All courses qualify for CMP credits – and upon successful course completion – participants earn a digital credential to add to their social profile or resume.
Event & Meeting Management Fundamentals
If you’re looking to become an event or meeting planner, or have been planning events for a while but never received proper training, this course is for you. Get a thorough understanding of how events work, why people and companies host events, how the industry is configured, and how to strategically plan and coordinate a typical event from A to Z.
Instructor: Kevin White, founder and chief strategist, XPL
Duration: 10 weeks
Start date: September 15
CMP Clock Hours: 36
Technical Meeting & Event Production
Do you know how many lumens your projector should be? Or whether your lighting vendor is correct in using PAR fixtures instead of Lekos to light the podium?
Regardless of your experience level, if your audiovisual proposal looks like a foreign language, you’re not alone. This course, designed for meeting and event professionals, provides the knowledge to understand the gear, staff, and set up your event needs to function properly, look right, and be cost-effective.
Instructor: Brandt Krueger, technical producer and speaker
Duration: 5 weeks
Start date: October 6
CMP Clock Hours: 9
Virtual Event & Meeting Management
Join over 1,200 alumni who have taken this popular online course!
With weekly live Q&A meetings, a peer-based community forum, and a work-at-your-own pace weekly schedule, this course in partnership with MPI helps industry professionals build on their existing event management skillset and experience by learning the fundamentals needed to plan and manage virtual events.
Instructor: Brandt Krueger, technical producer and speaker
Duration: 6 weeks
Start date: October 13
CMP Clock Hours: 20
Virtual Fundraising Event Management
While benefits and galas may be on pause, the need to achieve fundraising goals remains. In this new course in partnership with MPI, learn best practices and how to successfully transition live fundraising events to virtual environments.
Instructor: Lindsay Landman, founder, Beyond the Benefit
Duration: 4 weeks
Start date: October 20
CMP Clock Hours: 12
Pandemic Meeting & Event Design
In partnership with MPI, this brand new and timely course provides insights into how to rethink event strategy, design, execution, and evaluation for modified in-person events.
From risk management to venue protocols; contract clauses to user experience; food and beverage to marketing, the course covers the areas most impacted by the pandemic to help you develop and design well-informed, future-forward events.
Instructor: Kevin White, founder and chief strategist, XPL
Duration: 6 weeks online
Start date: November 10
CMP Clock Hours: 20
The Event Leadership Institute offers other ongoing professional education and development solutions for both individuals and event teams. Learn more about the perks of becoming an ELI member.
