The need for event professionals that “get” digital and event tech is growing, with 3x growth projected in the next five years. The need is only going to grow – you can grow with it, or get left behind.
At the Smart Event Academy, we want you to grow as a digital event strategist, event tech project manager, and digital event advocate.
Check out our current course catalog below and click the Get on the Waitlist button to let us know which courses would benefit you the most. We regularly add new courses and your input helps us build our roadmap.
Increase your event delivery confidence with these two industry best practices – the dry run and run of show. In this free course, we will:
Find out how to significantly simplyfing your live delivery experience
Learn exactly what should go into your documents – and why
Discover how make the document work to support any event type as well as remote and in-person teams
Explore a proven step-by-step pre-event testing process.
These processes will increase your – and your client’s – confidence going into an event. This template is one of the best client retention tools out there.
Learn how to use AI — like REALLY use it — to make your life as a digital event specialist that much better.
Learn to create prompts that don’t sound cookie-cutter
Dig into the seven most common event delivery use cases
Discuss the pros and cons of various types of generative AI tools
Cover the all-important legal and copyright discussions
If you’re tired of using generic prompts to get generic results, this course is for you.
Instructors: Jen Santos and guest lecturers
14 lectures (6 Hours)
More is not always better — particularly when it comes to event data. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. In this course, we will:
Learn the three types of event data
Discover how to get clear objectives and data requirements
Discuss the all-important exhibitor and sponsorship data
Discover the one critical mistake most event pros make
Data is one of the biggest advantages of digital events for event owners. Learn how to set up your team to get the right data.
Get a comprehensive look into digital event strategy and event tech with the Smart Event Foundations (SEF) training course and certification program.
Learn about the world of events, digital event delivery, and event management basics
Explore event registration, content, speaker, and exhibitor tools
Discuss project and client management best practices
Discover how to align digital delivery to event objectives
A broad-based fundamentals program – this course covers in-person, hybrid, and virtual events.
Instructors: Jen Santos and guest lecturers
12 lectures (6 Hours)
In the fast-paced world of events, managing expectations is everything. In this course, we will cover:
Writing client emails that get opened — and read
Change management practices that work
Consultant vs contractor mindset
Delivering tough messages
By using these best practices, you can help control the pace of the project, improve client satisfaction, and deliver a higher-quality event.
Mobile apps and events go hand-in-hand, but not all apps are built the same. In this course, you will learn:
What to look for when choosing a mobile app
The different types of mobile app solutions
When your event needs an app (and doesn’t)
The pros and cons of using an all-in-one solution
By right-sizing the mobile app to your event and your team, you’ll up-level the attendee experience in all the right ways.
Learn what core IT development and deployment principles are essential to creating and delivering a successful digital event program.
How the software maturity model applies to client tech stacks
Tech stack roadmaps and change requests
Event tech software selection that works
How to make the tech stack make sense to the event owner
By embracing these IT principles, you will improve the overall event experience — from attendee to planner to owner to implementor.
Just when you think, “attendees won’t do that” they will. Which is why you need rock-solid testing practices.
Find out what are the must-have elements of a solid test plan
Learn what to expect at the different stages of testing
Explore testing best practices for each of the different event tools
Discover what testing stage builds the most client confidence
A professional approach to testing is what separates the amateurs from the pros. Learn how to test like a pro.
Instructors: Jen Santos and guest lecturers
13 lectures (4 Hours)
Digital events are the great equalizer — enabling so many more people to participate — if you build your tools correctly. Learn:
How to build your website for all abilities
Baseline accessibilty testing anyone can do
Pre-event activities to make participation simpler
How to ensure your event mobile app is accessible
Meeting base accessibility requirements doesn’t have to blow the budget when done thoughtfully. Discover how.
Instructors: Jen Santos and guest lecturers
15 lectures (7 Hours)
An exhibitor management experience that consists of a couple of emails and links isn’t enough anymore. Discover what it takes to build an ERC that gets results:
Instructors: Jen Santos and guest lecturers
16 lectures (7 Hours)
A well-designed, easy-to-use SRC can make a huge difference on how well a show goes. We’ll dive into these elements and more:
Tech checks and speaker prep
Authentication integration
Managing speaker conflicts
Speaker resource management
We’ll look at variety of resource centers from a variety of events to help you figure out what you need and how to build it.
Badging and scanning are two fundamental event management tasks, and easy to get wrong — really wrong — when they aren’t considered all the way through the event planning cycle. In this course we will cover:
The integration between registration, badges, and scanning
The promise of smart badges
Session and lead scanning — when and why
What to do — and not to do — when creating your badge plan
The safety and security of your event, and the ROI for your sponsors, depends upon getting this right.
Ensuring both attendees and event organizers get what they want out of ancillary and third-party events requires additional up-front planning since these events are not the stars of the show. In this course we will cover:
What are ancillary events and third-party events
The three key components of a good attendee experience
Capturing the right attendee data before, during, and after
Tools to consider for all levels of integration
These types of events can be really powerful brand-building and sales-making activities when done right. We’ll get you started on that path.
A fully-localized digital event experience is every event planner’s dream for an international audience, but the realities of getting there can quickly turn this dream into a nightmare. Before you start planning your localization efforts, learn:
The difference between localization and translation
Strategies for choosing what language(s) to support
What key planning questions to ask your stakeholders
The budget and timeline realities of a fully translated / localized event experience
With impacts all the way through the event planning cycle, translation and localization are advanced event strategies. This course will give you the path to do it the right way.
Instructors: Jen Santos and guest lecturers
48 lectures ( 280 Hours)
Campus-like events are good candidates for advanced wayfinding and location services. While mobile app maps make it look easy, it’s anything but in an enclosed environment. In this course you’ll learn:
The right types of events for location services
Overview of different location service technologies
Considerations for different types of buildings and spaces
Budget considerations
While this course will touch on some currently available technologies, the intent of this course is to arm you with the knowledge you need to find the right solution for your event.
