5 Certifications for Festival and Event Directors and Managers

Before event and festival season resumes at full strength, here are five certifications to consider for enhancing your event and festival leadership and on-site capabilities. These range from keeping up to date on the latest OSHA safety regulations, from being able to drive a fork or boom lift on site, to being able to spot severe weather and make important decisions based on weather forecasts, to being a certified Venue or Special Events professional.

While these certifications are all voluntary, they will help you not only keep up to date on the latest and best practices in our industry, but it will also let potential clients see you’ve demonstrated and proven a certain level of knowledge and skill set, which may help them choose you and your company over the competition.

There’s also a great list of available training for not just managers and directors but also site crew, technicians, ushers, security personnel, and more at the Event Safety Alliance’s Training and Certification Page.

OSHA Outreach Training Program
– this program provides basic safety and health information and education — it does not fulfill an employer’s requirement to provide training under specific OSHA standards. The OSHA Outreach Training Program for General Industry provides training for workers and employers on the recognition, avoidance, abatement, and prevention of safety and health hazards in workplaces in general industry.

Sunbelt’s Operator Training Program – This program prepares an individual to understand the hazards involved in operating specific equipment. Course includes in-classroom and hands-on training for Aerial Work Platforms, Forklifts, Backhoe/Loaders and Skid-steer Loaders. Other similar programs are offered here as well.

IAVM’s Certified Venue Professional Program – The CVP designation says three important things about an individual: he or she is a capable professional, is committed to the industry, and is pledged to continued professional growth and development. Venue professionals who earn the CVP designation are recognized, by those inside and outside the industry, as skilled in their profession.

ISES’ Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) – The CSEP designation is the only certification within the meetings/incentives/conventions/expositions (MICE) industry that signifies knowledge in all facets of the special events industry. It conveys credibility and a competitive edge when marketing or soliciting business.

National Weather Services’ Severe Weather Spotter Training – a vital link in the timely and accurate flow of weather information into and out of weather forecast offices, trained Storm Spotters can help better assess how to act given a certain weather forecast; it could be the difference in evacuating your festival with enough time to ensure everyone’s safety.