Digital Event Strategist (DES): Certification Guide for Events Professionals

Saudi Arabia’s events calendar has leaned hard into hybrid and virtual formats over the past few years — livestreamed keynotes reaching audiences well beyond the room, hybrid trade shows pairing an in-person exhibition floor with online buyer meetings, and satellite sessions extending a Riyadh conference to delegates who can’t travel. That shift has created demand for a distinct skill set: producing, marketing, and measuring digital events rather than just physical ones. The Digital Event Strategist (DES) certification, issued by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) — a Chicago-based association serving the global business events industry — is the credential built specifically around that skill set.

Who It’s For & Why It Matters

PCMA describes DES as aimed at “anyone who wants to become an expert at connecting people to brands, ideas, and opportunities through business events in a digital world.” That is a wider net than most credentials in this series: event planners, event organizers, and meeting planners sit alongside corporate event planners, B2B and B2C sales professionals, and communications, marketing content, and operations staff. PCMA also makes a specific earnings case for the credential, citing Convene magazine’s 2022 Salary Survey: event professionals holding a DES certification reportedly earn $8,000 more than peers without it, and professionals holding both the CMP and DES designations earn $18,000 more than peers with neither. That survey is now several years old, so treat the figures as directional rather than current. For events professionals in Saudi Arabia running hybrid conferences, livestreamed ceremonies, or virtual investor days, DES formalizes the strategy, production, and measurement skills those formats increasingly require.

Eligibility Requirements

Unlike most certifications covered in this series, DES has no minimum years of experience, no membership requirement, and no application review — PCMA states plainly that anyone can apply to take the course. There are no strict prerequisites, though PCMA notes that background in event planning, marketing, or communications helps candidates get more out of the material. That makes DES accessible to earlier-career professionals building a specialization, not only senior practitioners.

Exam Format & Process

DES is delivered as a self-paced, on-demand course made up of 8 modules and more than 10 hours of content: introduction and industry overview; strategy and event business models; monetization, exhibitors and sponsors; experience design and audience engagement; platform and technology selection; production and live event management; marketing and communities; and reporting, measurement, and ROI. Each module ends with a required quiz that must be passed at 80% or higher (quizzes can be retaken). After completing all modules, candidates sit a final exam with a 3-hour time limit that must be finished in one sitting — there is no option to save and resume, and every question must be answered before submitting — and it must be passed at 70% or higher; PCMA allows up to 3 attempts. Course access runs for 365 days from purchase, and PCMA separately offers a DES APAC track with expert-panel sessions scheduled for Asia-Pacific time zones, along with a version of the course with Spanish-subtitled video.

Cost

The DES self-paced course costs $695 USD for non-members and $595 USD for PCMA members, with the final exam and certificate included in that price. Groups of three or more can qualify for a discount of 10% or more. PCMA sets and periodically adjusts pricing, so confirm the current figures on the official course page before enrolling.

Validity & Renewal

A DES certification is valid for 2 years from the date of completion. PCMA recommends completing 10 continuing education units (CEUs) during that period, and recertification once the 2 years are up costs $150. PCMA webinars and other certificate courses — including its Event Data Strategy Certificate and Event Accessibility Certificate — can count toward the CEUs needed for recertification.

How to Register

Enrollment runs directly through PCMA’s official DES program page, where candidates select the non-member or member pricing tier and complete registration through PCMA’s online store. Register for the DES Certification →

Sources & Further Reading

• Official DES certification page (PCMA)
• DES recertification page (PCMA)
• DES course listing (PCMA Institute)