Meeting Planner
Certificate
Curriculum code 1465
Course Requirements                   Public Service Web Site

This comprehensive program covers a broad spectrum: business, technology, and industry specific courses, plus verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills. The curriculum was designed by an advisory board of meeting/special events managers specifically to give our graduates the necessary skills for entry level positions.

This program is intended to lead to employment. If you are considering transferring to a four year college or university to obtain a bachelor’s degree using the courses from this program, make an appointment with an academic advisor to review your options. Most people working in this field are college graduates. A college degree is highly desirable in this field.

Nature of Work—Our graduates will possess the knowledge, skills and abilities to take a project from the conceptual stage into a successful reality meeting, conference, or a gala fundraiser. Our graduates work closely with local and worldwide destinations both virtually and onsite to make sure the event is a perfect match for the client’s needs and budget.

Related Job Titles—Meeting planner, meeting coordinator, meeting specialist, event manager, event coordinator, wedding planner, trade show director, convention manager, conference manager

Employment Outlook—The Chicagoland area is the number two meeting planner employer in the United States due to the large number of associations headquartered here. The American Bar Association, the American Medical Association, the American Dental Association, etc., all call Chicago home. Chicago hosts some of the largest conventions, generating billions of dollars in revenue, keeping and adding employment in every aspect of the meeting/special events industry.

According to a compensation survey listed on the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Web site, the mean salary level in 2005 for directors—$78,000 showed an upward movement from the previous year’s $77,500. On the other hand, meeting managers’ average salary of $55,500 in 2005 also showed an upward movement from 2004 when the mean salary was $54,500.

For additional information visit the following sites: www.pcma.org/resources/careers and www.mpiweb.org/news/tmp.

For job and internship listings and job search assistance, contact the Job Placement Center in the Center for Contemporary Technology, T904, (708) 974-5737, www.morainevalley.edu/jpc.