In conversations with our Event Management School partners (IFEA, NRPA and the Oglebay National Training Center), given what we currently know of the COVID-19 pandemic; the most optimistic, projected and realistic timelines for a vaccine and distribution; our concerns for ensuring the safety and health of our students, instructors and staffs; and our uncertainty regarding travel capabilities, both continentally and from outside of North America; we have determined that we will not be able to do the 2021 Event Management School in-person and on-site at Oglebay, in West Virginia, this coming January.
Following up on our decision to cancel the in-person version of the 2021 Event Management School in January, we sent out a survey to all of our 2020 Year One Class Professionals, to assess interest in the possibility of creating a virtual option for the school. Based upon the responses that we received and conversations with all of our partner organizations, we have now determined – in the interest of maintaining the unique (and hard to replicate) in-person experience, one-on-one networking opportunities, the extensive and high quality training provided by our professional instructors, and the special environment of the Oglebay Resort – that we will not be providing a virtual option in 2021. Instead, we will all look forward to continuing the school (with many new program updates to reflect the new world that we will all be operating in), in-person, in January of 2022 (January 16-21). Watch this page for more information in the months ahead.
While waiting is as hard for us, as all of you, when we begin again in January of 2022, the school and the training provided will be even more critical to your professional success, as we all adjust to the new expectations of all stakeholders, new challenges and opportunities, new health and safety regulations, and a world that will need our events to re-bond our communities and countries, more than ever.
For those of you who may be considering the Event Management School as a new Year One Class Professional, we look forward to welcoming you to one of the most unique and valuable educational opportunities in our industry. In the interim, we encourage you to consider a membership in the IFEA and NRPA, where you can take advantage of many valuable member resources, as we all continue to learn more about the changes that lie ahead for all of us.
If you are a current member of the IFEA, we encourage you to consider participating in our professional Affinity Groups, Covid Task Force Committees, sharing your experiences in our quarterly magazine (ie: the business of international events), and taking advantage of our many other professional resources, publications and networking opportunities.
We look forward to hopefully seeing and celebrating with you all in-person, again, at Oglebay in January of 2022. Mark your calendars now!
(Posted: 12/1/2020)