Applied Event Planning: A practical experience with President Benson

“In this class, students have the opportunity to work hands-on with every major event SUU produces,” Pope said. “These students are getting this real life experience so they can jump right into their careers, whether it is in event planning or something else entirely.”

Southern Utah University prides itself on its use of practical education within its classes, and that pride goes all the way to President Mindy Benson. Her class, listed as either Applied Event Planning or Event Planning and Management, is one of the strongest examples of what practical, hands-on education has to offer.

Students in the class assist in planning and executing events on campus. These events include homecoming week, sporting events, concerts and even SUU’s graduation ceremony. When working on the events, students experience each step, getting their hands dirty when an emergency arises.

It also offers a safe experience for students to make mistakes. With a strong support system behind each choice, students are allowed to trust their gut and make decisions, comfortable that if something goes wrong, a whole line of classmates and mentors are there to catch them.

This class isn’t new, either. Many members of SUU’s current staff have taken Benson’s class and are using the skills they learned in their day-to-day lives. Kenten Pope, SUU’s executive event manager, is one such student.

Pope took the class in the fall of 2014, which then led him to be hired as Benson’s event assistant. After years of work as a student, he graduated with his master’s in 2019 and was promptly hired to the position he holds today. It was then that he began to work more closely alongside Benson, and he eventually became another mentor in Applied Event Planning.

“In this class, students have the opportunity to work hands-on with every major event SUU produces,” Pope said. “These students are getting this real life experience so they can jump right into their careers, whether it is in event planning or something else entirely.”

Pope isn’t the only student that has found benefits in the class. Many students retake the class semester after semester, seizing every opportunity. Matthew Watson, the Hospitality Guild president, is taking the class for his second semester, and he is still learning new things with each event.

Watson recently assisted with the presidential inauguration banquet, where he was able to help plan, set up and work throughout the event. It also provided him with an opportunity to network and show his work ethic to everyone who attended the event.

He hopes to take the class for a third time in his final semester.

The class allowed students to help with the presidential inauguration as well. Twelve students each had a different role behind the scenes that helped the event run smoothly, ranging from lining up the precession, setting up the stage and working the tech.

“I spent more time watching all of the students work than thinking about the moment,” Benson said.

It was truly a full-circle experience for both Benson and her students.

It is not just the experience that brings students to its seats semester after semester, it is Benson herself. With her can-do attitude, “nothing is a crisis” mentality and years of experience, she brings something to the table that can be hard to achieve. Students adore her, and she adores them in return.

Even with her additional responsibilities as then-interim president and current official president of SUU, Benson has refused to leave this class behind her, stating that if she couldn’t teach her class, she wouldn’t be president.

When asked how she could do it all, she said, “There will be things I might have to give up, but it won’t be my class. I think it's so important that all of us are in the classroom.”

The class isn’t just for hospitality majors. It is beneficial to everyone, featuring major lessons in leadership, communication and organization. As a communication class, it has no prerequisites, so it truly can be enjoyed by anyone seeking the opportunity to learn from President Benson.

For those interested in taking this class, it's offered once a semester as only one section. You can take the class by enrolling in either HRHM 4510 Applied Event Planning or COMM 4520 Event Planning and Management. There's only 40 spots available, so don't miss your chance to take this incredible course.

- Written by Audrey Gee