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Learning paths

Host, Professional or Specialist: pick the path that matches why you are here.

The EventPlans.ca Academy is free and self-paced. Every lesson is open to everyone, but most people learn better with a route through the material. Choose the path that matches why you are here.

Host

The host path is for people planning their own event: a wedding, a milestone birthday, a children’s party or a company celebration. It focuses on what you need to make good decisions and avoid expensive surprises: setting a budget, choosing a venue, booking vendors, building a timeline and getting through the day itself. You can skip the business side of running a planning practice.

Professional

The professional path is for people who plan events as a job or want to. It covers the full course: client briefs and proposals, budgets and contracts, venues and capacity, permits and compliance in Ontario, vendor and entertainment management, risk and accessibility, the run of show, and evaluation afterwards. It includes every worksheet and quiz and ends with the final exam and free certificate.

Specialist

The specialist path is for people who already know the basics and want depth in one type of event, such as weddings, corporate events, festivals, fundraisers, children’s parties, virtual and hybrid events, or booking entertainment. Each track applies the core skills to the rules, budgets and running order that make that event type different.

Switching paths

You can change paths at any time. Your progress is saved in your browser, so completed lessons stay completed. Many people start as hosts and come back for the professional path later. Use the tools and Encyclopedia alongside the lessons.

How the lessons work

Every lesson follows a single running example from brief to wrap-up, so you see each skill applied to a real-sized event rather than in the abstract. Lessons end with a short quiz, and many include a worksheet you can use for your own plans. Work at your own pace; there are no deadlines and no fees.

The Academy is one course with three ways through it.

HostPlanning your own wedding, party or company event. Modules 1–4, 7 and 10. About 6 hours.
ProfessionalAll 12 modules, worksheets and quizzes, then the final exam. About 25 hours.
SpecialistWeddings, corporate, festivals, fundraisers, kids’ parties, virtual and hybrid, or entertainment booking.

Curriculum

  1. Foundations8 lessons

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

  2. Discovery & Concept7 lessons

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

  3. Budgeting7 lessons

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

  4. Venues7 lessons

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

  5. Vendors & Entertainment8 lessons

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

  6. Design & Guest Experience7 lessons

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

  7. Logistics & Operations7 lessons

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

  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.

  9. Marketing & Promotion6 lessons

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

  10. Event Day6 lessons

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

  11. After the Event6 lessons

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

  12. The Business of Event Planning8 lessons

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

  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.

  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.

  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.

  16. Specialist · Fundraisers5 lessons

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

  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.

  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.

  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.