Hands-on experience in a growing field

Gain hands-on experience from industry leaders in event planning, preparing you for a rewarding career in an expanding career field.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of meeting, convention, and event planners is projected to grow 18 percent before 2030. The event management major at Iowa State University (ISU) is the only four-year program of its kind in the state of Iowa and one of only a few in the Midwest.

Hands-on learning from leaders in the field are part of your Iowa State experience when you major in Event Planning. You’re well-prepared for internships and your career after graduation.

Careers in Event Management

  • Association Planner/Manager: Organize events and meetings to support professional organizations.
  • Conference Planner: Coordinate all aspects of conferences, including logistics, scheduling, and vendors.
  • Event Coordinator: Manage the logistics and execution of events, ensuring every detail runs smoothly.
  • Executive Meeting Manager: Oversee the planning and execution of high-level meetings.
  • Marketing Manager: Develops and implementstrategies to promote products, services, or brands.
  • Operations Manager: Oversee daily business activities and ensure organizational efficiency.
  • Sales Manager: Lead a sales team, develop strategies, and build customer relationships.
  • Travel Coordinator: Arranges and manage travel plans, including transportation, accommodations, and itineraries.
  • Venue Manager: Oversee the operations, bookings, and maintenance of an event space.

Career services
Prepare for your next job or internship with Career Services, where staff help you with job and internship searches, career fairs, interview preparation, and resume/cover letter reviews.

Experiences and Internships

Being on the ISU campus provides event management students with unique opportunities to gain valuable experience and internal internships:

  • Each spring, students in EVENT 485 propose the concept, location, schedule, menu, entertainment, décor and more for “The Conference.” In the fall, students enrolled in EVENT 486 get the hands-on experience putting plans into action and producing “The Conference” for the ISU and Ames communities.
  • Students can be involved with the annual ISU Fashion Show — one of the largest student-produced fashion shows in the nation.
  • Other opportunities to gain event planning skills include the athletics department, the alumni association, ISU Dining/catering, the Greek system, and Dance Marathon.

Internships
Various internships are available within event management. Students research potential internships and employers in two classes, AESHM 111: Professional Development for AESHM and AESHM 311: Seminar on Careers and Internships.  Talk to your internship coordinator for more information.

To apply for internships and full-time positions, use CyHire, on-campus career fairs, career services, and talk to your internship coordinator.

See where other students have interned. Visit Career Connections.

Graduate Program Preparation

Some students may choose to further their education with a graduate degree, such as a:

  • Master of Business Administration (MBA)
  • Master of Event Management
  • Master of Sports Management

Program information

Event management

Curriculum requirements

4-year plans

Past syllabi

Facilities and Laboratories

The Meeting Room is a laboratory providing students hands-on access to a number of cutting-edge technology tools like virtual reality headsets, event sound and lighting equipment, wireless connectivity to displays for bring-your-own-display, and group/collaboration furniture. The Meeting Room is utilized in EVENT 277: Introduction to Digital Promotion in Event Management for student projects involving digital promotion and EVENT 471: Special Events Coordination for multimedia system labs.

Accelerated degree option – do more with your time at Iowa State!

An accelerated degree option is available for the event management program.

Faculty

Students in the event management major learn from the best. Our faculty members are experts in a wide range of areas related to marketing, technology, promotion, brand management, trend analysis, resource management, catering, and finances.

Dr. Ken Tsai, Program Director

Dr. Joan Su, Director of Graduate Education for Event Management

Jamie Beyer, M.Ed

Rita McClain, M.B.A

Event management study abroad programs

The event management program offers various international opportunities through the College of Health and Human Sciences International Programs office.

Get Involved

Academic policies

University academic policies and procedures can be found on the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost website.  Class specific policies can be found in their respective syllabi.