The Shadow Experience

During the academic semesters,fall and spring, RTM majors and minors will have the opportunity to shadow an RTM Alum for a day. Students will experience the realities of working in the fields of Recreation, Tourism and Special Events.

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Recreation and Tourism Management Certificates

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Brochure

The field of Special Event Management offers opportunities to positively impact the quality of life of a wide variety of populations.

Special Event Management is not just about having fun... it requires skilled professionals who can create results and build audiences. Skills that combine the knowledge and competencies of program planning, management, economics, communication, marketing, tourism and psychology.

The special events industry brings hundreds of millions of dollars into the Arizona economy annually, primarily through the appeal of the larger signature events, community sustainability events, culturally-based events, and non-profit events. There are more than 1,000 events produced in Arizona annually.

Special events bring together individuals who work with community festivals, governmental departments, recreation programs, events and arts venues, non-profit organizations, and businesses that host special events.

Special events:

  • serve as the ultimate family entertainment
  • provide a means of education, inspiration, information, competition, friend-making and fund-raising
  • are not spontaneous
  • require careful planning, assistance of volunteers and/or staff, a variety of sources of funding and creativity
  • need to attract an audience to be successful