Event School London has been approved to deliver what it says are England’s first ATHE Level 4-7 Ofqual-regulated Events Management Diplomas, as the industry looks for new ways to tackle ongoing recruitment and skills shortages.
The launch creates a new structured route into the profession outside of traditional university degrees and apprenticeships, offering a regulated qualification pathway from Level 4 through to Level 7.
The announcement comes as the events sector continues to face talent challenges. According to a 2025 ESSA survey, 73% of UK events businesses struggled to recruit in the past year, while 88% cited a shortage of suitable candidates.
Event School London said the new diploma suite is designed to help address that gap by offering a more direct, industry-focused route into the sector and supporting longer-term career development.
Based at Novotel London ExCeL, next to Excel London and Immerse LDN, the school said students will learn through live event environments, site visits and direct engagement with industry professionals, rather than classroom-based theory alone.
The diploma programmes will be delivered from Level 4 to Level 7, with Level 7 aligned to postgraduate master’s level study.
Maria O’Dea, director of The Event School London, said: “Our students graduate not just with a qualification, but with real experience of the events industry – and employers appreciate it. 93% of our graduates are working in events.”
The new qualification suite has also been shaped with input from the school’s 2026 Industry Advisory Board, which includes representatives from organisations including the QEII Centre, Central Hall Westminster, Visa and Harrods.
A pilot cohort has already begun, with five students undertaking the ATHE Level 5 Diploma in Events Management, while applications are now open for future intakes across Levels 4 to 7.