From Event Planner to
Certified Experiential Strategist
Earn your Certified Professional Experiential Strategist credential and learn how to design purpose driven experiences that create measurable business impact.
Event planners execute events.
Event strategists design impact.
You already know how to execute.
The Certified Professional Experiential Strategist (CPES) credential validates your ability to lead.
Not with more templates.
But with a defined strategic framework, measurable methodology, and the executive level language required to connect events to business impact.
Execution gets you hired.
Strategy gets you influence.
This certification bridges the gap.
You already know how to execute.
That was never the problem.
The Gap in Event Education
The event industry has trained generations of professionals to execute events.
Leadership expects them to communicate strategy.
The Edgucation Institute exists to bridge that gap.
You manage details others miss.
You solve problems in real time.
You make events happen under pressure.
You are the person everyone relies on when things need to work.
But when leadership asks:
What was the business impact?
How did this support our goals?
What did we get from the investment?
Most event professionals were never taught how to answer.
Not because they lack talent.
Because they were never taught event strategy.
This is not a talent gap.
It is an education gap.
The Certified Professional Experiential Strategist (CPES) credential was created to close it.
Inside the Program You Gain:
A defined experiential strategy framework you can apply immediately.
A step by step ROI modeling system tied to business objectives.
Executive level language to present and defend your strategy.
A board reviewed case study proving applied competence.
A professional credential that signals strategic authority.
You will not leave with more templates.
You will leave with structure, clarity, and measurable proof.
And you will earn the Certified Professional Experiential Strategist designation.
The CPES Certification Pathway
Earn your Certified Professional Experiential Strategist credential by mastering the frameworks used to design strategic, results driven experiences.
1. Purpose to Profit
Foundation in experiential strategy and business alignment
Learn how to define the strategic purpose of an event, connect experiences to organizational goals, and shift from activity planning to strategic thinking.
2. The Competitive Edge
From Event Planner to Event Strategist
Develop the mindset, leadership language, and strategic positioning required to operate at the executive level.
3. The Experiential Edge Blueprint
Advanced experiential strategy framework
Learn how to engineer emotional design intentionally, anchor experiences to brand objectives, and build measurable ROI models
4. Strategic Case Study Certification
Board reviewed competency validation
Apply the full framework to a real event scenario and demonstrate applied competency in experiential strategy and ROI defense.n experiences.
The CPES Certification Curriculum
The Certified Professional Experiential Strategist credential is earned by mastering three strategic frameworks and completing a board reviewed case study.
Purpose to Profit:
Strategic event foundations
Learn how to define the true purpose of an event before planning begins.
Connect experiences to business objectives, identify the KPIs leadership evaluates, and translate event outcomes into measurable ROI.
The Competitive Edge
From event planner to event strategist
Develop the mindset, language, and strategic positioning required to operate at the leadership level and influence organizational decisions.
The Experiential Edge Blueprint
Advanced experiential strategy framework
Learn how to engineer emotion intentionally, anchor experiences to brand objectives, and design events that produce measurable business results.
Board Reviewed Certification
The final step of the program requires you to apply the full experiential strategy framework to a real event scenario.
You will demonstrate your ability to:
✔ Build a measurable ROI model tied to business objectives
✔ Translate event outcomes into leadership and business language
✔ Defend strategic decisions using executive level thinking
✔ Demonstrate applied experiential strategy
Upon successful completion you will earn the designation:
Certified Professional Experiential Strategist (CPES)
You may add the CPES credential to your resume and LinkedIn profile.
About The Edgucation Institute
The Edgucation Institute was created to address a gap in the event industry.
Event professionals are highly skilled at producing experiences, but most have never been formally trained to connect those experiences to business strategy, ROI, and leadership decision making.
Founded by experiential strategist and educator Jenny Howard-Maxwell, the Institute establishes a professional standard in experiential strategy.
Jenny combines advanced academic training in marketing strategy with decades of experience designing and evaluating high impact brand experiences.
The CPES certification program teaches event professionals how to move beyond execution and operate as strategic contributors inside their organizations.
Graduates develop the language, frameworks, and analytical structure required to connect experiential design to measurable business outcomes.
They learn to communicate strategy, defend decisions, and translate experiences into leadership level impact.
This is not coaching.
This is professional certification
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is The Edgucation Institute for?
The Edgucation Institute is designed for event professionals who want to move beyond execution and develop strategic credibility.
Most students have experience planning events but want to better understand how to connect those experiences to business outcomes, ROI, and leadership level decision making.
The program is ideal for corporate event professionals, experiential marketers, brand activation teams, agency producers, and independent planners who want to operate as strategic contributors rather than logistical coordinators.
Is this relevant if I work in corporate events or brand experiences?
Yes. The certification was specifically designed for professionals working in corporate events, experiential marketing, brand activations, conferences, and internal company experiences.
The frameworks taught in the program focus on aligning experiences with business objectives, measurable outcomes, and brand strategy.
If your events are expected to influence perception, behavior, revenue, culture, or brand loyalty, the concepts in this program directly apply.
Is this coaching or consulting
No.
The Edgucation Institute is a professional certification program, not coaching or consulting.
The curriculum teaches structured strategic frameworks used to design, evaluate, and defend experiential strategy. Participants develop the analytical tools and leadership language required to communicate event value at the executive level.
Do I need a background in marketing or strategy
No formal marketing background is required.
Most professionals entering the program already understand how to execute events successfully. The certification builds on that foundation by introducing strategic frameworks, measurement models, and leadership level communication.
The goal is to help experienced planners translate what they already do well into strategic business value.
How is this different from other event education
Most event education focuses on logistics, trends, or tactical execution.
The Edgucation Institute focuses on experiential strategy.
The certification teaches how to define the business purpose of an event, design experiences intentionally, measure impact, and communicate results using executive level language.
This approach positions event professionals as strategic contributors rather than operational support.
How long do I have access
Enrollment provides lifetime access to the curriculum.
The program is self paced, allowing professionals to complete the training alongside their existing work responsibilities.
Most participants move through the certification in several weeks to a few months depending on their schedule.
How quickly can I apply what I learn
Immediately.
The frameworks taught in the program are designed to be applied to events you are already planning.
Many participants begin using the Purpose to Profit framework in their very next internal meeting or client conversation, often shifting how event value and impact are discussed right away.
Is this self paced?
Yes. All programs are self paced and built to accommodate full time professionals.
Will this help me demonstrate ROI and advance my career?
Yes.
One of the primary goals of the certification is to help event professionals translate their work into measurable business impact.
By learning how to define purpose, identify leadership KPIs, and communicate results in strategic language, participants are able to demonstrate the value of experiences more clearly inside their organizations.
This shift often changes how event professionals are perceived internally, moving from logistics support to strategic contributor.
The CPES credential signals expertise in experiential strategy and the ability to connect events to business outcomes.
How do I get access after enrolling
Access is granted immediately after checkout.
Can I add the CPES designation to my resume or LinkedIn?
Yes.
Graduates who successfully complete the certification and case study requirement earn the Certified Professional Experiential Strategist (CPES) designation.
This credential can be added to your resume, LinkedIn profile, and professional bio to signal expertise in experiential strategy and event ROI.
Example:
Jenny Howard-Maxwell, CPES