GBTA and MPI Join Forces to Create New Education and Training Opportunities

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New Curriculum to be available in 2013

Alexandria, VA (October 8, 2012)—The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)—the voice of the global business travel industry—and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) — the meetings and events industry's largest and most vibrant global community— are pleased to announce a new joint venture. The two organizations will work together to co-create new industry-leading education and training opportunities.

"This is the first and only broad association partnership that GBTA has entered into since forming the GBTA Academy. GBTA believes MPI is the right partner to reach the meetings management industry and marketplace," said GBTA Executive Director and COO, Michael W. McCormick. "Our collective members will be reaping the benefits of this partnership for years to come."

An LLC is being formed with an executive steering committee to operate and manage the new curriculum which is expected to be available in 2013. Both organizations are bringing together their expertise and research prowess to develop and deliver these new educational and training offerings.

"We continually hear from the community that they want associations to work together and provide opportunities for improving their career skills. The collaboration with GBTA will deliver the single most essential management training program in the industry, creating a new standard for excellence," said Cindy D'Aoust, COO and interim CEO for MPI. "The result is enhanced value for both our members and the industry."

The new senior level education will be available to both MPI and GBTA members. While both current designations will continue to be recognized by MPI and the GBTA Academy, this new educational program is being derived from the best of GBTA's Strategic Meetings Management Certification (SMMC) and MPI's Certificate in Meetings Management (CMM) program.

GBTA is the world's premier business travel and meetings organization whose 5,000-plus members manage over $340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. MPI is the meetings and events industry's largest global community comprised of more than 21,000 members representing 84 countries worldwide.

For more information, please visit http://www.gbta.org/Education/Pages/Academy.aspx or http://www.mpiweb.org/Education/CMM.