Delivery
Online
Meeting and Event Planning, Professional Certificate
Program Overview
Become a Confident, In-Demand Meeting and Event Planning Professional With Our Professional Certificate
Whether you’re launching a new career, pivoting from another field, or expanding your current role, UNC Charlotte’s fully online Meeting and Event Planning Certificate will prepare you to lead successful events in any setting: corporate, nonprofit, social, or virtual.
Through flexible, instructor-led courses, you’ll gain the practical tools and strategic insight needed to design, plan, and manage events with professionalism and creativity. Whether you’re organizing conferences, fundraisers, weddings, trade shows, hybrid events – or even launching your own event business – this certificate equips you to thrive in today’s fast-changing event landscape.
There are no prerequisites to get started, just choose your first course and begin. You can complete the entire certificate in as little as 2.5 months, or take up to 2 years from your first class to finish at a pace that fits your schedule. Along the way, you’ll benefit from expert instruction and real-world assignments designed to build your confidence and skills.
Program Contact
Enrollment Team
School of Professional Studies
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What You’ll Learn
Guided by experienced instructors and event industry professionals, you’ll develop skills to:
- Assess event needs and set clear goals
- Design engaging and impactful event experiences
- Create event budgets and production timelines
- Market events across multiple channels
- Communicate effectively with stakeholders, vendors, and potential clients
- Navigate contracts, legal considerations, risk management, and accessibility with confidence
- Explore specialized areas like fundraising, weddings, large-scale events, and entrepreneurship
- Plan and manage events from concept to execution
- Build a final event plan through your portfolio project
What Our Alumni Say
When Robin Sturdivant, owner of She That Finds, 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.
“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
Courses
Expand your expertise. Build your network. Launch your future in events.
UNC Charlotte’s Meeting and Event Planning Certificate is a flexible, career-focused program designed for working professionals, career changers, and aspiring planners. You’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the modern events industry through targeted, instructor-led courses that cover logistics, design, strategy, marketing, and business development.
Whether you’re planning corporate meetings, nonprofit fundraisers, weddings, trade shows, or large-scale public events, this program helps you build the knowledge, confidence, and industry tools to thrive.
How the Program Works
The certificate is made up of 11 instructor-led courses, offered online in a mix of live and flexible formats. You’ll complete:
- 5 required courses
- 5 out of 6 available electives
- A self-paced portfolio project, designed to showcase your skills
- A 10-hour volunteer experience or informational interview assignment
Courses may be taken individually, in any order, and at your own pace. You’ll have up to two years from the start of your first course to complete the certificate, though most students finish in just under three months.
Featured Courses
- Event Communication and Sales Strategies for Event Professionals
- Strategic Event and Meeting Management
- Risk Management and Event Contracts
- Special Event Design and Production
- Event Marketing and Branding
- Fundraising and Nonprofit Event Planning
- Wedding Planning: The Business Behind the Big Day
- Hotel Operations for Hospitality and Event Planners
- Planning Virtual and Hybrid Events with Event Technology
- Large-Scale Experiences: From Conferences to Community Festivals
- Introduction to Event Entrepreneurship
- Event Planning Practicum
What Can You Do With Your Meeting and Event Planning Certificate?
Our graduates go on to launch businesses, start consulting careers, or advance into new professional roles at organizations like:
- Atrium Health
- LPL Financial
- Red Ventures
- Levine Museum of the New South
- BCBS of North Carolina
Common roles include:
- Event planner or coordinator
- Event marketing manager
- Conference and meeting manager
- Proposal coordinator
- Project or operations manager
- Entrepreneur or business owner
Why Choose UNC Charlotte?
Flexible pace: Take courses in any order, at your own speed.
Learn from experts: Courses are taught by experienced faculty and working professionals.
Online convenience: All courses are offered fully online with live and/or flexible components.
Accessible pricing: Pay-as-you-go option and discounts available.
Real-world focus: Build a professional event plan and connect with the industry through volunteer work or interviews.
Program Cost
- Per course: $275
- Certificate bundle: $2,571.25 for all required courses (includes bundle discount)
You can register and pay for individual courses as you go, there’s no need to commit to the full certificate up front.
However, if you know you want to complete the full program, enrolling in the certificate bundle saves you money (over $450) and secures your spot in all required courses. The bundle offers a discounted rate of $2,571.25.
Discounts may be available for UNC Charlotte alumni, faculty/staff, or early bird registration windows.
Financial Options:
2026 Course Schedule
The Meeting & Event Planning Certificate runs from March to June 2026 and is designed for busy professionals. Classes are held live online on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with weekly assignments to help you apply what you learn right away. The program concludes with a practicum, followed by a celebratory graduation event.
March 2026
All courses are held live online on Zoom, 6:00-9:00 PM EST. On average, students spend around 3 hours on independent assignments each week. Assignments are due the Thursday following each class week.
March 5 – Orientation
March 10 & 12 – Communication and Sales Strategies for Event Professionals
March 17 & 19 – Strategic Event and Meeting Management
March 24 & 26 – Event Contracts and Risk Management
March 31 & April 2 – Hotel Operations for Hospitality and Event Planners
April 2026
All courses are held live online on Zoom, 6:00-9:00 PM EST. On average, students spend around 3 hours on independent assignments each week. Assignments are due the Thursday following each class week.
April 14 & 16 – Special Event Design and Production
April 21 & 23 – Event Marketing and Branding
April 28 & 30 – Event Planning Entrepreneurship: Launch Your Business
May 2026
All courses are held live online on Zoom, 6:00-9:00 PM EST. On average, students spend around 3 hours on independent assignments each week. Assignments are due the Thursday following each class week.
May 5 & 7 – Planning Virtual and Hybrid Events with Event Technology
May 12 & 14 – Fundraising and Nonprofit Event Planning
May 19 & 21 – Wedding Planning: The Business Behind the Big Day
May 26 & 28 – Large-Scale Experiences: From Conferences to Community Festivals
June 2026
June 11 – Practicum Project Due
June 16 – Graduation Celebration
Which Option Is Right for Me?
We offer two enrollment paths to fit your goals, budget, and schedule.
Not sure yet? Start with one course, then apply your completed classes toward the certificate later. You’ll still have the flexibility to switch paths as your goals evolve.
Pay-as-You-Go
Cost: $275 per course—no bundle commitment required.
Best for: Students exploring the program at their own pace, taking one course at a time, or unsure if they want the full certificate. Great for professional development or testing the waters before committing to the full program.
Full Certificate Bundle
Discounted Rate: $2,571.25 (save over $450)
Best for: Students planning to complete the full certificate and want to save. Secure your spot in high-demand courses, enroll in all required courses at once and stay on track to finish within 2.5 months (you also have up to two years to complete the program after starting your first class).