Graduate Diploma in Event Management
Business & Management
A course by
Otago Polytechnic
Gain essential skills to plan, organise, promote, and manage events, conferences, and functions across various sectors. Full-time and part-time study options available, taught by industry professionals and includes real-world event experience.
In-person study
Face-to-face learning in a physical classroom setting
Dunedin, Dunedin
It will take a total of 1 year
This course requires 20 hours per week
Core skills this course teaches
Plan and execute events
Gain the ability to confidently plan, organise, promote and manage a range of events, conferences, and functions for different types of organisations.
Apply project management techniques
Understand and utilise project management concepts such as initiation, planning, implementation, control, evaluation, and closure in a real-world context.
Conduct organisational research
Develop and apply research proposals to solve workplace or industry problems, using critical reasoning and ethical practices.
What You're Signing Up For
This one-year graduate diploma equips students with the practical and theoretical skills needed to succeed in event management. Learn to coordinate and run successful events for organisations and communities, build on your prior experience, and gain hands-on industry exposure through real events and an industry project. Areas covered include project management, logistics, marketing, sponsorship, and organisational research. Choice of full-time or part-time study on campus in Dunedin.
Course Content
- Project Management: Organisational context, project initiation, planning, implementation, control, and closure.
- Event Logistics: Health and safety, risk management, crowd control, food and beverage, AV, volunteers, staging, performer management.
- Event Planning and Management: Working with external clients to prepare event plans and evaluate theory vs. practice.
- Event Marketing and Sponsorship: Marketing and communication plans, sponsorship proposals, team projects, practical event marketing.
- Event Project: Development, planning, and delivery of real events with industry clients; marketing, finance, HR, reporting.
- Organisational Research Design: Research proposal development, critical reasoning, management concepts, legal and ethical considerations.
- Industry Project: Applied workplace project (200 hours), written research project to add value to an organisation and build soft skills.
What you need to know first
An undergraduate degree or appropriate degree-equivalent practical, professional, or scholarly experience.
What sort of industry will this job lead to
Events
Business Management
Hospitality
Tourism
Marketing
Future employment opportunities might be
Event Manager
Conference Coordinator
Otago Polytechnic is known for high quality, hands on learning that leads to strong outcomes. With excellent student satisfaction, high graduate employment rates, and a commitment to sustainability, it’s a place where practical skills meet purpose. Their award winning programmes span design, fashion, creative arts, trades, health, and business, giving you real experience and real confidence for whatever comes next.