One of the Best Event Planning Courses available

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What our students say:

Maxine Bates, Nottingham: "It's great! There are no exams to sit or deadlines to meet, but be prepared to spend many hours researching venues, caterers, entertainers etc. and neatly presenting your findings. My tutor was very helpful." ...more

Want to be an Event Planner?

Nowadays, there are more parties and events than ever before.

Get a free 26 part guide to becoming an event planner. Just enter your details here.

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They can be big or intimate, happy or solemn, and for business or pleasure. And whether they're planned or last-minute, entertaining has become a feature of contemporary life.

What's more, guests expect parties to be more polished and exciting.

Some people host parties because they need to - to mark life transitions or to entertain clients or bosses. And some have parties just for the sheer joy of it.

There are the domestic events, such as surprise birthday parties and children's parties.

There's no shortage of events!

Cocktail parties
Sit-down dinners
Reunions
Bachelor parties
Engagement parties
Events honoring a promotion
Holiday celebrations, such as Christmas.

Not to mention the milestones: christenings, weddings, and baby showers. Plus anniversary parties, graduation parties, and even memorial services.

Then there are the commercial events. Companies need product launches. Cities and communities need celebrations and ceremonies. And stores need splashy opening events.

Plus there are political events, municipal events, and charity events.

In fact, more activities and occasions call for a party or event than you could imagine.

And that means a big opportunity for the event planner - if you know where to look.

ASET Level 4 Accreditation

Our course is fully accredited by ASET, and on completing it you get an award equivalent to Level 4 of the National Learning Framework (post A level/HNC/HND standard). ASET is a national Awarding Body recognised by the Department for Education and Skills and by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in Britain. It has been accrediting vocational learning for more than 50 years and now works with more than 200 providers in the UK and internationally.

By studying for our Diploma in Event Planning, you’ll give yourself that edge. You couldn’t ask for anything more from a distance learning course.

event planner accreditation

Wouldn't you like to be an event planner?

Imagine yourself, elegantly dressed, visiting swanky hotels, and checking out the food (for free!). See yourself approving the decor and the service, cool and in control, making notes on your clipboard.

Imagine being followed meekly around by a hotel manager. He wants your business, and knows you have four or five accounts - each worth a small fortune, and hopes you'll give his hotel the work.

Think of the bands you'll book, the orchestras you'll hire, and the fireworks you'll arrange.

Picture yourself at the nightclubs, restaurants, and dance parties. Imagine getting paid to be at all the "edgy" hot spots, places where most people spend their evenings waiting in line for the doorman to let them in.

And think about talking casually to celebrities - people that now you only read about in magazines.

This is a job where your sense of style and your common sense will be appreciated at last.

And when you collapse exhausted into bed after another amazing day, you'll know that you've created an event that your clients and their guests will remember for the rest of their lives.

And you got paid well for doing something you enjoy. For going to parties! Wouldn't that be a great way to live? It's a way of life that most people can only dream of. But there's a way for you to make it actually happen.

What it's like to be an event planner

Being an event planner is hard work. There are real skills to learn, if you want to be a professional. It will take time to get known and find clients. But if you're determined to succeed, there are so many advantages.

1. You get to be your own boss. No one is looking over your shoulder. No one can tell you what to do.

2. You work only the hours you need to. And it's certainly not a boring 9-5!

3. You can fit the work around your other commitments. So you can pick up your children from school, or spend time with your spouse. You can care for an elderly relative. Or just relax.

4. It's your business, so you keep the profits. The more you work, the more you earn. You're not watching the clock, and you're not working endlessly dull hours to earn money for bosses who may not even value you.

Event planning is very flexible. And unlike most businesses, there are very few set-up costs. All you need is a phone and a list of contacts - plus your own talent, enthusiasm and the knowledge that we'll teach you.

How not to become an event planner

Some people think you can learn from another event planner, by becoming their assistant.

Sadly this isn't true.

Most event planners are self-employed. And they don't take on more work than they want to.

So they don't have a need for assistants.

Our planning system is free with the course,
and helps you stay on top of everything.

Moreover, they aren't eager to delegate work to other people. Because they don't trust others to do it right.

And they don't want to train someone else who will then become a competitor in their area.

They get deluged with requests from people who want to become their assistant. (So if you applied, you'd get trampled in the stampede.)

So the fact is - you can't learn from other people.

The good news is, that it keeps a lot of people out of the industry.

No, you have to set up your own event planning business from scratch.

But that's OK, because you already have the experience, aptitude and interest, right? Otherwise you wouldn't be reading this page.

And you know in your heart of hearts that you want to be an event planner.

Can't you just pick it up as you go along?

Some people believe they can become an event planner all on their own. They think they can call themselves an "Event Planner", take out an ad, and wait for the phone to ring.

Unfortunately, that's not how it works. You need something more. There are the business methods you need to learn. Skills, techniques, facts. Event Planning is the business of serious fun. You'll need to study to do it right. So you have to learn somewhere. But where? Read on to find out.

Audio Guide

Click the 'Play' button to learn more about the course.

So, what's the next step?

The best way to become an event planner is by doing the Diploma course from the Institute of Event Planning.

The course is entirely taught by distance learning. So you can study at home. And you complete the course at your own pace. You don't have to take time away from work, or family responsibilities.

Because we have low costs, and many of our faculty are home-based, the course is less expensive. And we charge just one all-inclusive price, with no surprise charges.

The entire course comes complete to you in a big box. Some students say it's a bit like opening a Christmas present!

In the course you'll find everything you need. There are the course modules, the Manual, and a Quick Start Guide. Plus everything you need to set up as an Event Planner.

A complete course

We give you all the tools and techniques you need. The course is crammed full of activities, suggestions, tips and ideas that you can instantly put to use.

We explain how to set up your own practice, how to launch and market it, and how to attract clients. You'd be surprised how many event planning courses don't cover this adequately.

Individual to you

The course is very flexible. You can start whenever you want. And you can take as long as you need.

Whenever you have a question, you can phone a course advisor or email your own personal Tutor. Your tutor will be a real-life event planner, whose job it is to help you, personally, become one yourself. Our tutors are enthusiastic working professionals who love to share what they know with our students

Event planning course materials
This is what you'll receive when you register
for the course

This means the course is individualized and interactive (many other event planning courses are not). You do your lessons in the comfort of your own home, and at your own speed.

But you don't do it in a vacuum. You join a community of event planning professionals. Apart from your tutor there are Student Advisors, current fellow students, and Graduates who have successfully completed the Course.

Is there much competition?

Surprisingly, given the number of events that are held, and the growing number that are outsourced, there's little competition - there are really very few event planners.

Moreover, few event planners learn how to promote their business in their locality. Fewer still learn how to properly publicize their business on the Internet. All of this we teach you on the course. So you have a real advantage, a head start.

What a year! It's been such a change in my life since I decided to become an event planner! This last few months have been so completely different from everything that's gone before that I couldn't begin to tell you. Being an event planner is like something I feel I was born to be - but I never knew it.

- Emily Hughes, Epping.

How busy do you want to be?

Some event planners like to have just one or two events a month. Others choose to work all hours of the day and night. As an event planner, you can easily earn $60,000 (£30,000) a year.

Could you become an event planner? Take our free assessment now.
Click here.

About the course

The event planning course is carefully designed to show you, step-by-step, how to become a professional event planner. It also shows you how to succeed on the business side. It’s structured to give you the right information when you need it. There’s comprehensive documentation and specialist support material.

Your assignments will be assessed by one of our experienced, dedicated instructors, who will be a working event planner. It means your work is reviewed in a friendly, supportive and confidential atmosphere before being exposed to the outside world.

The course is a complete learning package. It's crammed full of information, tips and exercises. Everything is beautifully packaged to provide you with your own permanent reference library which you can consult long after completing the course.

Constructed by event planning experts, the course incorporates years of experience, covering every aspect of the event planning market. Experience and knowledge it's taken others decades to accumulate - at your fingertips.

Plus we add the most common questions and comments from our students.

Having read this far, you know that you already have the talent and enthusiasm that's drawn you to this field. Now you'll gain the skills, business savvy and confidence to stand out. Taking this course will assure your success as an event planner.

Your future as an event planner

And what an exciting life! You'll be mixing with celebrities (for many corporate events, an after-dinner personality is essential). You'll see the thrill of people getting married. You'll enjoy great parties in amazing, gorgeous venues. And each one of them will have been your inspiration.

You'll arrange all kinds of events, from small intimate ones - perhaps a weekend for a couple in romantic Italy - to major launches, with hundreds of people in tuxedos getting out of limousines, flash bulbs popping.

High pressure? Certainly - but you like that! Great fun? You bet!

The course is customized, personally for you

Your course is fully personalized, and tailored to your individual profile and needs. We carefully evaluate your assignments, and show you how to improve. We provide advice that you can't get anywhere else, and we give you the encouragement that you'll need to succeed.

The courses are based on the real world. By the end of the course, you'll have met all the main problems that an event planner encounters. So there won't be any surprises when you face a client.

You'll also have two advantages over event planners who have learned "on the job". They have rarely been taught the craft in a systematic way (so they’re less professional); and they rarely know the full range of opportunities available.

Exclusive information

The course gives you an invaluable insight into the event planning world. You can't find these trade secrets disclosed anywhere else. The course is distilled from actual experience, to give you the answers to questions like:

What sort of people and organizations need events?
Where do I find clients?
How much do I charge?
What paperwork and record-keeping do I need?
How do I promote and market my business?

Our accreditation

We're accredited by the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council (ODLQC). Set up by the government to assess standards in distance education, they check out our instructors, our finances, and our management systems - the works. And they're fussy (but so are we). We're proud of our accreditation, which is why we're determined to maintain it.

And that's why we work so hard to keep our students happy. If for any reason you were unhappy with our service, you can contact them by clicking on this link: ODLQC.

We are also registered with the Department for Education and Skills on its Register of Education and Training Providers.

Plus we're recognized by the Better Business Bureau, and by E-Public Eye, among others.

Check the course benefits

Unlike other organizations, we provide complete coverage of the subject, and full service. For example, we show you how to market your business on the Internet.

Plus you can demand a full refund at any time within 30 days of receiving your course package - no questions asked. We want our students to be happy with our course, and with their future in event planning. Otherwise, what's the point?

There are 12 assignments for you to complete, and you get a free event planner's manual, not obtainable elsewhere. You’ll have unlimited access to your instructor, who will give you free advice and suggestions on anything to do with event planning, including your own work.

You can also phone a Student Advisor at the Institute whenever you want.

And you can take as long as you want to complete the course. Or you can complete it quickly.

Who signs up for the course?

All kinds of people decide to register for the course. But typically they are:

1. People who are good organizers. They are "doers", people who enjoy making things happen. They mostly have some experience already of running events, however informally. They're the ones who always end up planning granny's birthday party, knowing the right restaurant to take out-of-town relations, or how to get fliers printed for a themed event at the local club. They know how to have fun.

2. People who want to supplement their income by working from home. Many want to fit their work around other commitments, and to be in control of their own time. Some people do event planning full-time, some part-time, and some as an addition to their role as a full-time parent.

3. People who are creative, and fun. They're often frustrated with their current occupation. They have a feeling there's a better way they could use their gifts to benefit themselves and their families, and to make a contribution. Sometimes, after a birthday party or a dinner, their friends tell them, "You know, you could get paid to do this!"

4. People who want to make their dreams come true, and who need a practical way to do that.

My tutor has been prompt in returning my assignments, and has been very patient and helpful in her comments.

- John Saumarez, New Jersey.

The questions people ask

Can I join the course without prior experience? YES
Can I take as long as I want to complete the course? YES
Can I tackle the topics in any order I choose? YES
Can a newcomer break into event planning and earn money? YES
Can I submit hand-written assignments? YES
Can I get my money back if I don't like the course? YES
Can I talk to other students, and meet them? YES
Will you show me how to find work? YES
Can you provide support after the course finishes? YES
Will I find the course enjoyable as well as informative? YES
Is the course run by working event planners? YES
Can event planning be taught, just like accounting or nursing? (YES - only it's a lot more fun).

Read more frequently asked questions here.

What you'll learn from the course

By the end of the course, you'll have acquired the following skills:

You will understand exactly what an event planner does, and be able to do those things.
You'll have learned the skills, techniques, and "tricks of the trade" of the professional event planner.
You'll know how to confidently get profitable business.

When you complete the course

Your event planning course DiplomaOnce you complete the course, you’ll receive your Diploma. It’s the formal recognition you'll have earned of your skills and knowledge. You also get to use the letters ‘Dip.EP (Inst.EP)’ after your name.

We’ll send information about your success to your local newspapers if you want. That’s a good way of telling potential clients about your availability.

We’ll put your name on our list of Certified Event Planners. This is a source that clients will use to search for a legitimate event planner. It's valuable exposure, and it could bring you lots of work.

You can get a free logo (like the one on the right) to put on your website and your note paper. This logo gives potential clients added confidence in your skills.

And after completing your course, you'll be able to join the Institute as a member, at no cost.

It's time to get started

Having read this far, you've got what it takes - motivation. Now all you have to do is get started. Fill out the registration form now, because this is where the adventure and rewards begin.

You've waited long enough - why wait any longer? Go ahead and do something for yourself, to make your dreams a reality. It's easy to start:

1. Click here to go to the registration page. You can sign up online, and you'll receive your course within days.
2. When you get the course, read the first module. It has an easy-to-follow format. Then just plunge in: do the first assignment. It asks you simply to describe your life, your interests and your aims. Send it to your tutor for assessment. Your tutor will return it to you with friendly advice and comments.
3. Do the same for the other modules, until you reach the end of the course. By then, you'll probably be earning good money as an event planner. And you'll be having a great time.

We look forward to helping you succeed.

With best wishes

Kit Sadgrove