Education vs Experience: Do You Need A Degree To Make It In The Events Industry?

Do you need a degree to make it in the events industry? It’s the oldest dilemma in history – education vs experience. And when it comes to the events industry, it’s more than normal to ponder for a bit. In an industry where experience oftentimes seems to overtake education, which one has more weight? If you want to become an event professional, should you invest in education first? Or is it safer to immediately jump into the field to get your hands dirty? And with the rise in higher education institutions offering programs related to the industry, the lines seem to get even more blurred.

But thankfully enough, this week’s Event Brew is ready to tackle the topic of education vs experience. Our amazing hosts Will Curran, Nick Borelli, Thuy Diep, and Dustin Westling all have completely different backgrounds. And yet, all of them made it into the events industry. They will share their thoughts on the burning question – do you need a degree to make it in the events industry? So, education vs experience – which one should you put your money on? Let’s get brewing and find out!

In the late 90s, early 2000s, there was hotel/restaurant management available, so it was mostly just hospitality. Other than that, there wasn't a meeting planner discipline in college tracks. Click to Tweet

The curriculum that exists now and didn't exist before can really put you further ahead faster. Because I feel like I took the long road, and it was really granular. Click to Tweet

We continuously talk about the barrier for entry and how we can communicate our value to our clients. And I do think that's a little bit because there's a lack of education. Click to Tweet