<p>Our friend's daughter is a junior, a pretty good student and lives in surburban
Chicago. She is looking for a medium to large school in a medium to large city that offers Event Planning or Travel as a major or minor. Depending on whether it is a major or a minor she will also be majoring or minoring in French. Her life's dream is to work in France in some event or travel related capacity. Does anyone have any suggestions as to schools that would fit the bill? Financial aid will be an issue (older sibling in college) but she is willing to travel outside the midwest if need be.</p>
<p>This may not be what your friend's daughter is looking for exactly, but I offer it up as information. My S's gf earned an art history degree a few years ago, but has developed a talent for planning events. She is now enrolled at Madison (WI) Technical College to earn her certificate in Event Planning. From what I am told, it is one of the few programs of its kind in the US. They offer an AA program and a certificate program:
<a href="http://matcmadison.edu/matc/ASP/showprogram.asp?ID=3003%5B/url%5D">http://matcmadison.edu/matc/ASP/showprogram.asp?ID=3003</a>
<a href="http://matcmadison.edu/matc/ASP/showprogram.asp?ID=2548%5B/url%5D">http://matcmadison.edu/matc/ASP/showprogram.asp?ID=2548</a>
Perhaps an arrangement with U Wisconsin is possible to combine her interests?</p>
<p>Another thought: My neighbor's daughter graduated from UNLV with a hotel management degree. Within the Hotel College they offer a major in meetings and events management:</p>
<p>BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN HOTEL ADMINISTRATION<br>
Hospitality Management Major
Beverage Management Major
Food Service Management Major
Lodging & Resort Management Major
Meetings & Events Management Major
<a href="http://hotel.unlv.edu/departUnderGrad.html%5B/url%5D">http://hotel.unlv.edu/departUnderGrad.html</a></p>
<p>Thanks so much M&B, I will pass the information along.</p>
<p>Vegas is not the midwest! Not in Kansas anymore!!! but of course there is the Paris Hotel and the Venetian.</p>
<p>But hey, its Vegas baby!</p>
<p>(we lived there until about 2 years ago)</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>She might want to look into the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Ideal location (Orlando) for studying such an area.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.hospitality.ucf.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.hospitality.ucf.edu/</a></p>
<p>Univ of Houston Hilton Hotel/Hospitality Management program...dont know details, but you might check it out</p>
<p>My sister in law got a degree in meeting planning from the University of Denver about 15 years ago. At the time I think it was the only college that offered that degree. She did have a successful career doing incentive trips for a large travel agency before deciding to do something else.</p>
<p>U of Houston's program is supposed one of the best in the nation. They have to study event planning, etc.</p>
<p>I visited the university of Hawaii a few years back and i know they have a travel course <a href="http://www.tim.hawaii.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.tim.hawaii.edu/</a></p>
<p>I dont know much else about the uni and realise its far away. Just thought i would mention it as i have not noticed Hawaii mentioned on these boards. They appear to be focused on the Asia Pacific so im not sure about the french side of things.</p>
<p>Thanks all for your replies. Hawaii, I know will certainly be a popular suggestion, at least with the daughter!</p>
<p>My D was interested in Hotel school. I don't know which one's have specific event planning concentrations but here is a list of some schools we came across.
Univ of Denver- School of Hotel, Rest, and Tourism Management in the School of Business
Michigan State University
Cornell- #1 Hotel School in US
Northern Arizona University
Boston University-small department in a large university
George Washington Univ.
Washington State
Indiana Univ of Penn
Univ of Delaware
NYU
Univ of South Carolina
Univ of Houston
Univ of Colorado Boulder in the business school
Drexel
There are more but these are what I can remember without looking it up.</p>
<p>I will be a contrarian. </p>
<p>My sister is an event planner and does massive events like major 15 band outdoor concerts with cross country bus tours; etc. </p>
<p>Event planning is an innate skill. Either you are a born event planner-- a control freak with incredible force of will, the knack to have 15 balls in the air at one time, intense self-starter skills, razor sharp instincts about to whom you can delegate without disaster ensuing, nearly pathological extrovertedness, the chutzpah to charm your way out of a CHP traffic stop, and the ability to MAKE things come out right because you'd sooner die than fail-- or you are not.</p>
<p>If you are not that person, I fear all the training in the world won't help you. When I overhear my sister on the phone it is nearly comedic how much the above is true... and she has been like that since age 12.</p>
<p>Majoring in French and running the concert bureau, lecture bureau, radio station, or film society on campus should be perfect preparation.</p>
<p>I guess thats where it helps to be in a large university. At least if you discover that you are not as good at something as you thought you were there is room to move and find other passions. :)</p>
<p>I recently heard about someone attending this program at the University of Memphis. They have a major in Hospitality and Resort Management, and Holiday Inn built a hotel on campus so the students get real-life experience. Here's the link: <a href="http://wilson.memphis.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://wilson.memphis.edu/</a></p>
<p>"Created and named for the founder of Holiday Inns, the Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality & Resort Management (KWS) offers a balance of hands-on experience and academics in hotel management, hospitality, resort business, and tourism stressing global awareness, diversity and sustainability. Our program is designed to prepare students for a 21st century career in a field that is one of the largest employers in the world. Career opportunities abound in this fastest growing of all fields and the Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality & Resort Management graduates will be prepared to assume their roles in the hospitality and resort business."</p>
<p>Also, a google search found this US News link to schools with a program in Hospitality Administration/Management. <a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/majors/brief/major_52-09_brief.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/majors/brief/major_52-09_brief.php</a></p>
<p>A friend's daughter graduated recently from Ohio State with a degree in event planning; she reportedly was very happy with her experience there.</p>