Marketing Management - Event Marketing

Associate Certificate Part-time School of Business + Media

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Overview

Are you good with people and excited about a career in promoting events? Whether you’re new to event marketing or you’re already working in promotions and hoping for professional development, the BCIT Event Marketing associate certificate can give you the most crucial foundation in how to successfully promote events and build your career.

With the hands-on training you receive in this program, you’ll gain invaluable knowledge in trade show marketing, sports marketing, catering planning, sustainable event operations, social media, and wedding planning. You can then use these skills to begin or advance your career in many areas of the industry, including corporate and shopping centre marketing departments, advertising agencies, nonprofits, sport and community events, entertainment, attractions, and much more.

About the program

Can take this program completely online
Focus on specialized event marketing techniques like planning, sports marketing, and more
Designed for students with or without prior experience looking to specialize in event marketing

Find out how you can develop the essential skills necessary for success in this exciting field at the Program Details.

Who should complete the Event Marketing Associate Certificate?

This program might be right for you if:

You work well in a team
You’re outgoing and personable
You enjoy a fast-paced work environment
You have good written and oral communication skills
You’re interested in a career in a vibrant, exciting industry

If this sounds like you, enroll today at the Entrance Requirements page!

What grads can do

Through this program, you’ll be developing the job-relevant skills you need to become an event planner, marketing assistant, trade show coordinator, and more. The courses in this program are designed to give you the most solid foundation of knowledge in this specific area of marketing, while also preparing you for further training to help you advance your career.

Find out more about the opportunities awaiting you upon completion of this program at the Graduating and Jobs page.

Entrance Requirements

About Part-time Studies

Take a single course, or work towards a credential — all at a pace that’s right for you.

Part-time courses are offered in a variety of scheduling formats, including at night or on weekends, flexible day time delivery, or you can opt for distance or online learning. If you meet the prerequisites and there’s space available, you can register for a course immediately. Courses are offered in each of three terms: Fall (September), Winter (January) and Spring/Summer (April).

To apply to a Part-time Studies program and earn your credential, you simply need to complete a Part-time Program Declaration Request. Applications are processed throughout the year.

Applicants to the BCIT School of Business are required to have completed two years of full-time study in high school or post-secondary program in English in an English speaking country. If you do not have English 12 and have not studied in an English-speaking country, you will need to demonstrate your skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. For information on English equivalencies, testing and upgrading options, visit:

Application processing

Ongoing throughout the year.

International applicants

Blended delivery

This delivery option is available to international applicants. A valid study permit is required prior to starting the program.

Complete the following steps before declaring your program:

Create your BCIT ID. If you already have a BCIT ID, ensure that your personal profile is complete and current.
Submit your completed International Flexible Application [PDF] along with proof of your current level of English to international_flex@bcit.ca.
If you are in Canada, submit a photo or scan of your current status in Canada document to statusdoc@bcit.ca from your myBCIT email account.

BCIT International Student Centre will review your application and contact you with next steps.

Online delivery

This delivery option is available to international applicants who will complete the program from outside Canada or who currently have a valid status in Canada other than study permit. International students completing the program fully online are not eligible for a study permit.

Program declaration

Declaring your Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) program ensures that BCIT is aware of your intent to complete a program as it is currently outlined and provides you the opportunity to apply for transfer credit.

To submit your declaration:

Answer all questions completely.
If required, convert transcripts and documents to PDF files.
Have a credit card ready to pay the application fee.

Declare Now

Upon approval, a program plan letter will be sent to you confirming your program of study. Please allow approximately eight weeks for processing.

Learn more about program declaration

Scheduled Intakes

Ongoing Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) intakes: January, April, and September.

Costs & Supplies

Bring your own device

Most courses and programs in the School of Business + Media are BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). Please ensure you bring a laptop to every class. Plug-in outlets will be provided at most stations in classrooms, but not in all classrooms, so please ensure you have at least 2 hours of battery life available at the beginning of each class. Check the following recommended computer requirements prior to the start of class. If a program or course does not require you to provide your own device, that information will be provided by your instructor or indicated in the course outline.

For online classes, it is important you have a stable and consistent internet connection to access course content.

Tuition fees

Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) tuition is charged on a course-by-course basis. Please see the Flexible Learning Tuition & Fees pages for more information:

Financial assistance

Financial assistance may be available for this program. For more information, please contact Student Financial Aid and Awards.

Courses

Important updates to Part-time Studies

1) Need to waitlist for a School of Business + Media course? Find out more.
2) English Requirement: Find out more.

The courses in this program are all designed by marketing professionals to give you the most current and applicable job skills. Through your hands-on, practical learning at BCIT, you’ll develop fundamental skills necessary for event marketing, including topics that cover live events, social media marketing, sports marketing, and more.

Please note: part-time programs and courses are open enrolment and although we make every effort to accommodate demand, course registration cannot be guaranteed in every semester. High demand courses fill quickly and may result in students unable to register for a course that semester. Courses may also be cancelled due to low enrolment.

Program matrix

Check current availability of courses for this program.

1. Required Courses:			Credits
	MKTG 1102	Essentials of Marketing Marketing 1102 is an introduction to the fundamentals of marketing. In addition to the "four Ps" of marketing—product, price, place, and promotion—students will be introduced to how marketers create customer-driven marketing strategies based on their research and understanding of the marketing environment and customers. Students will plan a strategy for and compete in an online marketing simulation. After the simulation, students will evaluate their performance and deliver a marketing plan for their simulation company, which will be assessed on students' application of marketing terminology and processes and in the professionalism of their work. Additionally, students will complete assignments, quizzes, and exams. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	MKTG 1120	Event Planning This projects-based course focuses on the event industry, and fundamental components of planning and executing events. Students explore the planning, marketing, selling, producing and management of any type of event from company social functions to major conventions. To be successful in this course, students must be able to communicate well in writing, in English. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	MKTG 1123	Sustainable Event Management Operations Event Planning Professionals are more often than not, required to plan sustainable or "green" events as part of an organization's corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals. This course will introduce you to the new international sustainable event standards, and how to measure the environmental impact of an event. The marketing and communication of sustainable strategies and green positioning as well as the measuring and reporting on sustainable outcomes to event stakeholders will also be explored. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	MKTG 1126	Live Entertainment Events and Festivals This course examines all facets of live entertainment events such as music concerts and festivals. Students will explore the world of live entertainment from promotion all the way to production. Classes will focus on topics such as ticketing and promotion, community involvement, site and venue development and production. The course will include individual and group project work, industry panel speakers and site visits. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	MKTG 1341	Sustainable Event and Tradeshow Marketing Trade shows require a surprising amount of creativity, planning, budget and energy. A planner must consider many steps and moving parts to fully leverage the marketing and resource investment in these events. And most importantly, all need to plan events with a long-term strategy with environmental sustainability top of mind. This course examines how a trade show can be an effective marketing tool for businesses. The course covers how to position a trade show as an active marketing tool within a business's overall strategy, from the physical booth to staffing. But most important, this course looks at ways event planners can make trade show participation more sustainable, from travel to the location to food waste to marketing materials, to how the show benefits the host community. Looking at current examples of small local trade shows in Vancouver to global events like consumer electronics shows, the course will review how to be a more earth-friendly event planner and trade show participant. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0

2. Complete 6.0 credits from the following list of electives:			Credits
	FUND 2316	Grant and Proposal Writing This is a practical introduction to the elements of proposal and grant writing: purpose and responsibility, organizational readiness, research, mechanics of preparation, development of a formal proposal/grant, presentation, follow-up, and post grant reporting. Students gain skills through hands-on practice identifying potential funders, and developing and refining their proposal. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	MKTG 1121	Off-Premise Catering Planning This course examines all aspects of planning off-premise catering events from assessing a venue to costing the labour and equipment charges and determining appropriate food service for the venue and budget. Those venturing into the off-premise catering field or who have responsibility for planning catering events will benefit from this course. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	MKTG 1122	Wedding Planning Dream weddings require careful planning. This course examines wedding planning from inception to execution, including managing the procedures and challenges faced from the initial meeting with the couple, to selecting purveyors, contract reviewing, themes and decor. The role and career of a professional wedding planner are also explored. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	MKTG 2226	Production Management for Events & Special Projects As large events and special projects are becoming the forefront of modern day production, the role of a producer is complexity of a producer's job is continually changing. From insurance, to understanding labour laws to provincial standards in construction for live events, students will exit the course with the tools required to effectively speak to all areas of production & business affairs around event & special project management. Students who take this class would be interested in live event production, experiential marketing, event management, civic events & festivals, production business affairs, and operations management. Prerequisite(s): 50% in MKTG 1120 or 50% in MKTG 1126 course outline	3.5
	MKTG 2452	Search Engine Marketing: SEO and Paid Search Search engines create opportunities for businesses to attract more traffic and more customers to their website, product or service pages, videos, social media, and even to their brick-and-mortar location. In this course, students will learn about organic or unpaid search engine marketing, known as search engine optimization or SEO, and paid search engine marketing, often called SEM or pay-per-click PPC or just Google Ads (since Google is the dominant search engine). This course covers the foundations of SEO and SEM, starting with an understanding of search engines and the business case for SEO. Students will then use various tools to conduct SEO audits, research keywords, and create and present strategies for on-page SEO, technical SEO, and link building. After exploring the organic side of search, students will learn the value of paid search. Using a company of their choice as a case study, students will create and present a paid search campaign, including a well-structured account, budget, keyword strategy, and effective ads. Students will create and pitch both an SEO and a paid search plan for a local business or not-for-profit organization of their choosing. (For online and asynchronous courses, these presentations will be recorded and posted on the Learning Hub for the class to view and discuss.) Prerequisite(s): 50% in MKTG 1352 OR relevant industry experience course outline	3.0
	MKTG 2552	YouTube Marketing Did you know that more video content is uploaded to the internet in a single month than network television has produced in three decades? And most of it is uploaded to YouTube. As the world’s second largest search engine (and owned by the world’s largest), YouTube is a powerful driver of website traffic. Marketers use video as the primary media for their content strategy, creating YouTube channels for presentations to drive leads and sales, for explainer videos to increase product and service understanding, for advertising, and more. This course will introduce students to the basics of setting up a YouTube channel, learning how to create content that is optimized for search, managing the analytics to hone and tweak successful YouTube performances, and using YouTube to deliver on business objectives. Prerequisite(s): 50% in MKTG 1352 OR relevant industry experience course outline	3.0

3. Complete 3.0 credits from the following list of electives:			Credits
	MKTG 1119	Sports Marketing Examines the full breadth of sports marketing and sponsorship, its use in the marketing plans of corporations and its function inside amateur and professional sport. This project based course will appeal to sports administrators and event organizers as well as promotion, community relations and marketing personnel who address sports marketing in their occupation. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	MKTG 1352	Digital Marketing The focus of this course will be to provide the student with e-Marketing techniques and strategies that can help any forward-thinking organization be competitive in today's business environment. Key areas that promise to leverage the power of Internet are: customer relationship management (CRM); 1:1 marketing; permission-based e-mail marketing; viral marketing; attributes of a good Website and Website marketing goals; Website promotion/search engine positioning/ranking, and key Internet technologies/terminologies/acronyms. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	MKTG 2909	Fundamentals of Marketing Research This course explores the fundamentals of marketing research – what it is, how it is used, why it is used, and its role in and importance to the marketing function. Secondary, qualitative, and quantitative research methods and tools will be explored. Particular emphasis will be placed on identifying and locating online sources of secondary data; evaluating and selecting appropriate methods for conducting primary research; the proper design of qualitative and quantitative data gathering tools; conducting effective survey fieldwork; understanding the nature and use of basic quantitative data analyses; and the proper reporting of research findings. Students will be taken through the steps of a major multi-method marketing research project. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	MKTG 3554	Brand Strategy This course will provide insight into the strategies behind successful brands. The focus will be on analyzing company, industry, consumer and competitive information to provide a sound foundation for developing a brand strategy. Additionally, students will learn the components of branding and how to use brand development tools. Students will learn how to position and brand products and services in order to prevent them from being turned into commodities and understand that all marketing campaigns serve the larger mission of developing a brand. Prerequisite(s): (50% in MKTG 1102 and 50% in MKTG 1352) or 50% in MKTG 2202 course outline	3.0

Total Credits:			24.0

Check current availability of courses for this program.

Transfer credit

Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.

Program Details

This special package of courses is designed to give you a fast track to a career in event marketing. No matter whether you’re new to marketing, whether you have a degree or diploma in a non-marketing area, or whether you already work in a marketing department and want to gain additional certification, this program is for you.

Event planning and marketing is becoming a much more sophisticated discipline as corporations recognize the need to integrate events into the traditional marketing mix. It’s currently a multi-billion-dollar industry in North America and is projected to grow.

Through this series of eight courses (five core courses plus three electives to meet your own personal goals), you’ll work closely with industry professionals to gain the hands-on experience with event marketing through studies, projects, and real-world case studies you can use in your career immediately.

And with a flexible availability of courses both in the classroom and online, you can choose the path and schedule that fits your own needs while being prepared for a successful career in event marketing in as little as three months.

Program delivery

This program is offered in the following delivery modes:

Blended: The program is delivered partly on campus and partly online.
Online: The entire program is delivered fully online.

Program location

Courses may be offered at the following locations:

Burnaby Campus
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC

Downtown Campus
555 Seymour Street
Vancouver, BC

Distance and online learning

Graduating & Jobs

By earning your associate certificate, you’ll be strengthening your resume with skills marketing employers are looking for. The practical knowledge you gain through this program prepares you to find new opportunities or enhance your current position for success far into the future.

Some job opportunities include:

Event Marketing Assistant
Event Coordinator
Marketing Assistant
Event Planner
Trade Show Coordinator

You may choose to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation, or you might also consider continuing your education for even more advanced skills and access to more career options. The course credits you earn in this program may be transferable to other programs within the BCIT Marketing Management department.

Graduate employment outcomes

The BCIT student outcomes report presents summary findings from the annual survey of former students administered by BC Stats one to two years after graduation. These reports combine the last three years of available results for the 2020-2022 BCIT Outcomes Surveys of 2019-2021 graduates and for Degree 2017-2019 graduates. The reports are organized into three-page summaries containing information on graduates’ labour market experiences and opinions regarding their education. More detailed information can be accessed at the BC Student Outcomes website.

To view these results, you may need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in your Web browser.

Marketing Management - Event Marketing

Apply for graduation

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, complete an Application for BCIT Credential [PDF] and submit it to Student Information and Enrolment Services.

Allow approximately six to eight weeks for processing.

All financial obligations to the Institute must be met prior to issuance of any credential.

3 Month Option

The BCIT Event Marketing Associate Certificate program can be completed in three months (one term). The course schedule below outlines the required courses necessary to complete the program, plus links to all the elective options. Students can choose from the list of the elective courses that are best suited to their personal goals. This program can be completed with a blended format; both in-person and online delivery.

Students are also welcome to search for alternative sections from the program matrix here.

Please note students need to sign up and pay course by course for all of the courses in the 3-month option. If you have any questions about the condensed schedule, please email mktgpts@bcit.ca.

Event Marketing Associate Certificate In-class and Online Blended Format

Required Courses:

Course	Crn	Title	Start Date	End Date	Wks	Campus	Days	Begin Time	End Time
MKTG1102	10004	Essentials of Marketing	10-Jan	03-Apr	13	Burnaby	Wed	1830	2130
MKTG1120	10029	Event Planning	09-Jan	26-Mar	12	Downtown	Tue	1730	2030
MKTG1123	78576	Sustainable Event Management	08-Jan	30-Mar	12	Online
MKTG1126	86256	Entertainment Events	08-Jan	30-Mar	12	Online
MKTG1341	90692	Sustainable Event & Tradeshow Marketing	02-Feb	11-Feb	2	Downtown	Fri	1730	2030
							Sat/Sun	0900	1700

Elective Options

Choose two courses from this list:

FUND 2316 – Grant and Proposal Writing

MKTG 1122 – Wedding Planning

MKTG 2452 – SEO and Paid Search

MKTG 2552 – YouTube Marketing

Choose one course from this list:

MKTG 1352 – Digital Marketing

MKTG 2909 – Fundamentals of Marketing Research

MKTG 3554 – Brand Strategy

Contact Us

If you have questions that you could not find the answer to online, or if you require further assistance, please contact us:

Candace Marrington
Program Assistant
604-432-8723 | Candace_Marrington@bcit.ca

Tracey Renzullo
Flexible Learning Program Head
604-451-7033 | Tracey_Renzullo@bcit.ca

Email: mktgpts@bcit.ca

Contact a Part-time Studies Program Advisor with the BCIT program name in the subject line if you have a question about:

Course selection and program planning
Declaring your program
Making changes to your approved program plan
Applying for transfer credit and advanced placement
Laddering options
Job placement and graduate outcomes
Student life

Questions or comments?

Programs and courses are subject to change without notice.