Meeting and Event Planning, Professional Certificate

Program Overview

Become a Professional Expert in Meeting and Event Planning With Our Professional Certificate

Are you a meeting and event planning professional looking to boost your skills or earn continuing education credit? The University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s online Meeting and Event Planning Professional Certificate program will prepare you to orchestrate extraordinary experiences across diverse settings — from weddings and fundraisers to virtual events and trade shows.

Whether you are just starting out or seeking advancement, our online certificate program will empower you to confidently navigate the dynamic world of professionally planned meetings and events.

Renowned instructors will guide you through meeting and event planning courses featuring interactive modules spanning strategic management, marketing, design, risk mitigation and more. You will master tactical skills and cutting-edge techniques as you learn to:

  • Assess needs
  • Set goals
  • Design captivating programs
  • Manage budgets
  • Negotiate with vendors
  • Navigate legal intricacies

There are no prerequisites to enter the program.

Program Contact

  • Delivery
    Online
  • Duration
    2.5 Months
  • Start
    March 27, 2025

Note: Our Meeting and Planning Certificate program meets the continuing education requirements to sit for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) exam. Successfully completing our professional certificate program will not result in certification as a CMP.

“I want to be competitive, and being competitive means being able to position myself in all the different avenues out there. Each instructor brought something that I needed to understand.”

– Robin Sturdivant, ’23
Owner, She That Finds

anne spychala

This program (Spring 2025) is eligible for the Building Bridges Scholarship.

Courses

Expand Your Expertise Through Our Meeting and Event Planning Courses

UNC Charlotte’s professional certificate program consists of a series of modules that focus on different components of event planning. The curriculum modules include:

  • Strategic Meetings Management
  • Marketing Events
  • Designing Special Events
  • Risk Management & Contracts
  • Presentation & Sales Strategies
  • Fundraising and Non-Profit Events
  • The Business of Weddings
  • Trade & Consumer Shows
  • Hotel Operations & Management
  • Creating & Managing Extraordinary Virtual Events
  • NEW How to Start Your Own Event Planning Business
Outlook

What Can You Do With Your Meeting and Event Planning Certificate?

Our professional certificate program graduates often create their own businesses or side hustles as they pursue their meeting and event planning careers with organizations such as:

  • BCBS of North Carolina
  • Atrium Health
  • LPL Financial
  • Levine Museum of the New South
  • Red Ventures

Our professional certificate graduates have job titles such as:

  • Business manager
  • Project manager
  • Event marketing manager
  • Conference and event manager
  • Proposal coordinator
  • Director of marketing and operations
Why UNC Charlotte?

Why Earn Your Meeting and Event Planning Certificate From UNC Charlotte?

By choosing UNC Charlotte’s Meeting and Event Planning Professional Certificate, you will enjoy a number of advantages, including:

Take advantage of our new payment plan option. Pay off your program at the same time that you are earning your professional certificate. With just a $500 deposit, you can register for the next session, then pay the remainder through two monthly payments. Learn more!

Earn your professional certificate in just two and a half months. Our fast-paced online certificate program allows you to continue working as you complete your meeting and event planning courses. Every class features interaction among students and award-winning instructors, whose expertise and knowledge of the latest industry tools and resources help prepare you for success.

Learn from faculty experts. Our 100% online program features a blend of live online and asynchronous meeting and event planning courses. Award-winning instructors and guest speakers — hospitality veterans brimming with real-world experience — will equip students with the skills and tools to thrive in this dynamic field. Joan Eisenstodt has been an instructor for the Meeting and Event Planning Certificate program since 2012 and brings extensive experience to her classes. She was recently included among the Top 25 Influencers in the Meeting Industry by North Star Meetings Group.

Program Cost

Meeting and Event Planning Certificate Registration Fee: $2,100.00 or $500.00 deposit

Financial Options:

Learn more about the Meeting and Event Planning Professional Certificate program in our virtual information session.

Robin Sturdivant

Owner of She That Finds

When Robin Sturdivant enrolled in UNC Charlotte’s Meeting and Event Planning Professional Certificate program, she was confident it would give her the edge she needed to expand her hobby — events planning for family and friends — into a business.


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