Master in Strategic Events Management

Strategic value creation

Events offer enjoyment, inspiration, and engagement, and generate economic, social, cultural and strategic value. How can you use all these benefits to approach events as strategic tools, enhancing both the event itself and its impact? In this part-time master in event management, you will learn how to design, personalise and deliver engaging experiences. Because you are already working in the events industry, you can apply the knowledge acquired directly in your professional work and see the benefits of the new approach.

The concept of Strategic Value Creation is at the heart of the programme. Within our learning community, you will work on a final graduation challenge which is relevant to the professional context you operate.

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After discussing the requirements of event managers with industry representatives, we were able to identify the key areas of knowledge development upon which this master’s programme in event management was founded. Close industry ties like these are typical of our master’s programme. After all, we want to trigger our students to adopt this outlook as well - combining practical experience with our Strategic Value Creation concept to deliver a wide range of value-adding initiatives to individuals, communities, businesses and society at large.

The professional team of lecturers of our programme will offer students insights into strategy, responsibility, experience design, analysis & marketing, stakeholder management, innovation and strategic value creation. With this knowledge under their belt and upon successful completion of their final graduation challenge, our future event managers should be able to take a holistic view of the value-creation potential of events.

Course details

Our master’s programme, which covers 60 ECTS credits, has a total duration of two years. The concept of Strategic Value Creation is essential in all modules and therefore the central theme during the entire master’s programme. We will explain below what you can expect in each year.

In the first year, you will work on the modules Business Strategy, Innovation & Change, Sustainability & Responsibility, Event Marketing and Experience Design. To further deepen your knowledge and expertise you will be working in the M SEM learning community during the entire programme, starting at the beginning of year 1.

In the second year, you will be working on the modules Collaboration & Co-Creation and Strategic Value Creation. You will also start preparing for graduation during which you will be working on one or more strategic challenges that are specifically relevant to the professional events context you function in towards your graduation portfolio.

During the graduation phase, you will be working on your graduation portfolio and the implementation of your Value Creation Challenge(s).

Introduction clips on course modules

Would you like to know more about our course modules? Click on the course module to open the clip in a new window.

• Business Strategy
• Innovation & Change
• Sustainability & Responsibility
• Event Marketing
• Experience Design
• Collaboration & Co-creation
• Strategic Value Creation

Study load in coaching

The Master of Strategic Events Management is a two-year, part-time programme. The total study load is 60 ECTS credits. To give you an idea: 1 ECTS credit equals 28 study hours. This amounts to 21 hours of education and independent study per week. You will have classes on campus one day a week (eight hours) so that leaves approximately 13 hours of independent study per week.

The Master Strategic Events Management offers students a small-scale environment as the number of students admitted into the master’s program is limited and lecturers are always there to offer help. For questions about course content, lecturers can be easily reached. Throughout the entire duration of the master's programme, you will be supported by your coach. The master's programme coordinator is available to help with day-to-day issues. If you wish to discuss personal problems that may be affecting your life as a student, you can contact a student counsellor.

You and your classmates all work in the events industry and you apply everything you learn directly to your professional work. We collaborate in a learning community of students, events industry professionals, and lecturers. This involves a high study load, but more importantly, it is a chance to gain experience as well as professionalize the events industry in which you will build a network.

Field trips

Guest lectures are offered regularly during the master's programme and several field trips are organised as well. Since all Master Strategic Events Management students work in the events industry, field trips are sometimes provided to visit each other's companies.

The programme of the Master Strategic Events Management focuses on creating strategic value through the use of events. Upon completion you can, for example, take up a career at a festival organisation to ensure that all stakeholder interests are properly considered and served, at a municipality to develop events policies that contribute to an attractive profile, business climate or social cohesion of or in the city, or at a conference organiser to work on the development of new markets.

After graduation you are entiteld to the Master of Arts degree.

• We are recognised by WLO as a World Leisure Centre of Excellence
• The only master’s programme in Strategic Events Management in the Netherlands
• Focus on events as a tool for strategic value creation