Proud to be a CMP!

Dear Fellow CMPs,

The last month has just flown by, and it is hard to believe that I already have the opportunity and pleasure to reach out to all of you once again.

On the day that the last CMP Today was distributed, I was boarding a flight to Amsterdam. This is only significant because I was absolutely thrilled to see that my "inbox" started receiving messages from CMPs in response to the question I had posed: "Why are you proud to be a CMP?"

For those of you who travel extensively, you will be able to relate to my "usual" action prior to take off for international locations: one last email check before turning off my mobile’s roaming function. At the time I was departing, the messages from CMPs started to come in, and I honestly didn’t want to turn off the phone. It was a torturous wait until I could get Wi-Fi again to read your messages.

I would love to share a few of the responses and hope that more of you will answer the same question after reading this month’s article:

I have to give credit to the very first response, which was from Kevin McNally, CMP.

Hello from Chicago.

As you read this, I am pleased to share that I have been a CMP for 20 plus years. During that time, I retired after 30 years with Starwood, two years later returning to the craft that I love working with TAJ Hotel Resorts & Palaces and now with Hilton Hotels. And through my journey I continue to maintain my CMP with pride.
In my connections with customers ... I always recognize those who have our CMP designation. We are indeed a community of professionals who are proud of what we do, how we deliver and the success of making a difference!
GET YOUR CMP ON!

Mary Anne Whittle, CMP, from California provided such a descriptive portrayal of her CMP pride that I really want to share her thoughts with you:

I am proud because the CMP designation is a badge of achievement and lends to my credibility as a professional inside and outside the company I work for. It was not easy to achieve, and it took dedication and commitment to work toward certification. Not to mention the wonderful people I have met along the journey who mentor, encourage and endlessly answered questions. So totally worth it!

And I proudly share the thoughts of Kim Bladen, CMP, from New Jersey. Her comments are especially meaningful to me as we met while preparing to take the CMP many "recertifications" ago:

I am proud to be a CMP because I worked hard to obtain the certification. While not everyone knows what those initials mean, many of my peers are aware that becoming a CMP involves passing a rigorous exam and having several years of experience within the meeting industry. More important, the CMP designation helps to elevate the meeting profession. The program illustrates that effective meeting management requires a certain degree of expertise and professionalism. Having (and maintaining) the CMP designation indicates that I am a professional who is dedicated to the field of meetings management. And meetings hold a very important role in our society!

It is with great pleasure that I share the thoughts and accolades about the CMP designation with all of you. For those who took time to write, I thank you for allowing me to share your comments with our CMP community. For those of you who answered the question in your mind but didn’t have a chance to write yet, I know that we all share a bond that is strong, powerful and filled with pride. If you wish to answer the question of "Why are you proud to be a CMP?" I will include a few more answers in my article next month. I share your thoughts and am so proud to be in a position to be able to highlight the thoughts from some of my fellow CMPs.

Do remember to keep reading about the CMP Program in CMP Today and on the CIC website and make sure that your profile is up to date! If you are up for recertification in 2015, please complete the application now so that you can check this task off your "to do" list. And last, but definitely not least, I look forward to seeing and meeting many of you at CMP breakfasts, industry events and especially at Conclave 2015.

With warm regards,

Joanne

Joanne H. Joham, CMP, CMM
2015 Chair, CMP Governance Commission
Regional Director North America – ICCA
jjoham@optonline.net

The Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) is a
program of the Convention Industry Council

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