A free, self-paced event planning course.

Curriculum

1. Foundations8 lessons

   What planners do, types of events and roles, the event lifecycle, key terms, tools of the trade.

   • What an event planner actually does15 min
   • Types of events and who plans them15 min
   • The event lifecycle: six phases15 min
   • Twenty terms you need on day one15 min
   • Tools of the trade15 min
   • Reading a floor plan and a BEO15 min
   • Ethics, kickbacks and disclosure15 min
   • Module 1 workshop: plan a 40-person birthday on paper15 min
2. Discovery & Concept7 lessons

   Client discovery meeting, goals and success measures, guest profile, creative brief, writing proposals.

   • The discovery meeting15 min
   • Goals and success measures15 min
   • Guest profile and the guest journey15 min
   • Writing the creative brief15 min
   • Proposals that win15 min
   • Pricing your fee: percentage, flat, hourly15 min
   • Module 2 workshop: discovery to proposal in a week15 min
3. Budgeting7 lessons

   Building a budget, typical cost splits, contingency, HST and gratuities, tracking actuals, pricing your fee.

   • Building the budget from the goal15 min
   • Typical cost splits by event type15 min
   • Contingency and the reserve15 min
   • HST, gratuities and service charges in Ontario15 min
   • Tracking actuals and cash flow15 min
   • Negotiating with venues and vendors15 min
   • Module 3 workshop: the gala budget, line by line15 min
4. Venues7 lessons

   Search and shortlisting, site visits, capacity and floor plans, contracts, outdoor and tented events.

   • The venue search: shortlisting by the numbers15 min
   • Site visits: the 25 questions15 min
   • Capacity, layouts and the fire code15 min
   • Venue contracts and minimums15 min
   • Outdoor and tented events15 min
   • Hotels, unions and load-in rules15 min
   • Module 4 workshop: choose between three venues15 min
5. Vendors & Entertainment8 lessons

   Building a vendor team, matching acts to audiences, technical riders, catering and bar, AV basics, vendor contracts.

   • Building the vendor team15 min
   • Matching entertainment to audience and room15 min
   • Technical riders15 min
   • Catering: styles, tastings and dietary planning15 min
   • Bar: packages, permits and Smart Serve15 min
   • AV basics for planners15 min
   • Vendor contracts and insurance15 min
   • Module 5 workshop: book a full vendor team15 min
6. Design & Guest Experience7 lessons

   Décor, lighting, guest journey mapping, menu planning, accessibility, sustainability.

   • Décor that photographs: where money shows15 min
   • Lighting design for non-designers15 min
   • Guest journey mapping15 min
   • Menu planning with the caterer15 min
   • Accessibility by design (AODA)15 min
   • Sustainability without greenwashing15 min
   • Module 6 workshop: design the guest experience15 min
7. Logistics & Operations7 lessons

   Master timeline, run of show, load-in and load-out, transportation, registration, seating.

   • The master timeline15 min
   • Writing the run of show15 min
   • Load-in, strike and dock logistics15 min
   • Transportation, parking and shuttles15 min
   • Registration, check-in and seating15 min
   • Staffing and briefings15 min
   • Module 7 workshop: full production plan15 min
8. Legal, Safety & Risk (Ontario)8 lessons

   Contracts and liability, insurance, special occasion permits and AGCO, city permits, fire and pyro, crowd management, emergency plans.

   • Contracts and liability basics15 min
   • Insurance: yours, theirs and the venue’s15 min
   • AGCO Special Occasion Permits15 min
   • City permits: parks, tents, noise, road closures15 min
   • Fire, pyro, candles and performers15 min
   • Crowd management and emergency plans15 min
   • Privacy, photo rights and PIPEDA15 min
   • Module 8 workshop: the risk register15 min
9. Marketing & Promotion6 lessons

   Invitations and RSVPs, ticketing, social media, sponsorship, PR.

   • Invitations, RSVPs and response rates15 min
   • Ticketing and pricing15 min
   • Social media and content for events15 min
   • Sponsorship: packages that get signed15 min
   • PR and media for GTA events15 min
   • Module 9 workshop: launch plan15 min
10. Event Day6 lessons

    Day-of kit, running the room, managing vendors, real-time problems, working with performers.

    • The day-of kit and the first hour15 min
    • Running the room15 min
    • Managing vendors on the day15 min
    • Working with performers15 min
    • Real-time problems: the fifteen most common15 min
    • Module 10 workshop: tabletop simulation15 min
11. After the Event6 lessons

    Wrap-up and payments, surveys, ROI, building a project write-up and portfolio.

    • Wrap-up: invoices, gratuities, returns15 min
    • Surveys and feedback15 min
    • Measuring ROI and reporting15 min
    • Building a project write-up15 min
    • Portfolio and testimonials15 min
    • Module 11 workshop: debrief and report15 min
12. The Business of Event Planning8 lessons

    Starting an Ontario business, pricing models, finding clients, contracts, websites and SEO, scaling, specializing.

    • Starting an event planning business in Ontario15 min
    • Pricing models and packages15 min
    • Finding your first ten clients15 min
    • Client contracts and getting paid15 min
    • Websites, SEO and getting found15 min
    • Systems, tools and scaling15 min
    • Specialising: choosing a niche15 min
    • Module 12 workshop: your business plan15 min
13. Specialist · Corporate6 lessons

    Specialist track: Holiday parties that people attend; Conferences: program, AV and registration; Trade shows and booth activations; Galas and award nights.

    • Holiday parties that people attend15 min
    • Conferences: program, AV and registration15 min
    • Trade shows and booth activations15 min
    • Galas and award nights15 min
    • Team building and offsites15 min
    • Hybrid and virtual events15 min
14. Specialist · Entertainment Booking6 lessons

    Specialist track: The entertainment market in the GTA; Matching acts to events; Riders, rigging and ceiling heights; Contracts, deposits and substitutions.

    • The entertainment market in the GTA15 min
    • Matching acts to events15 min
    • Riders, rigging and ceiling heights15 min
    • Contracts, deposits and substitutions15 min
    • Writing the performer brief15 min
    • Trade show sales entertainment15 min
15. Specialist · Festivals & Public Events5 lessons

    Specialist track: Permits, road closures and the city; Site planning and crowd management; Vendors, sponsors and revenue; Stage programming and production.

    • Permits, road closures and the city15 min
    • Site planning and crowd management15 min
    • Vendors, sponsors and revenue15 min
    • Stage programming and production15 min
    • Volunteers and staffing15 min
16. Specialist · Fundraisers5 lessons

    Specialist track: The fundraising program; Sponsorship and table sales; Budgets and net proceeds; Auctions, raffles and Ontario lottery rules.

    • The fundraising program15 min
    • Sponsorship and table sales15 min
    • Budgets and net proceeds15 min
    • Auctions, raffles and Ontario lottery rules15 min
    • Stewardship after the gala15 min
17. Specialist · Virtual & Hybrid5 lessons

    Specialist track: Choosing a format and platform; Production for the camera; Engagement design; Hybrid logistics and the two-audience problem.

    • Choosing a format and platform15 min
    • Production for the camera15 min
    • Engagement design15 min
    • Hybrid logistics and the two-audience problem15 min
    • Measuring virtual events15 min
18. Specialist · Kids' Parties5 lessons

    Specialist track: Parties by age: 1st, 2–4, 5–8, 9–12; Entertainers, activities and safety; Venues: home, party venues, parks; Food, cake and allergies.

    • Parties by age: 1st, 2–4, 5–8, 9–1215 min
    • Entertainers, activities and safety15 min
    • Venues: home, party venues, parks15 min
    • Food, cake and allergies15 min
    • Favours, themes and budgets under $1,00015 min
19. Specialist · Weddings6 lessons

    Specialist track: The 18-month wedding timeline; Cultural weddings: South Asian, Chinese, Jewish, Italian, Caribbean, Filipino, Persian; Wedding budgets and the splitter; Ceremony logistics and the marriage licence.

    • The 18-month wedding timeline15 min
    • Cultural weddings: South Asian, Chinese, Jewish, Italian, Caribbean, Filipino, Persian15 min
    • Wedding budgets and the splitter15 min
    • Ceremony logistics and the marriage licence15 min
    • The wedding-day run of show15 min
    • Micro-weddings, elopements and destination (Niagara, Muskoka)15 min