What Will 2018 Bring?

Meet the new CMP Governance Commission Chair, Erin Tench, CMP, CMM

I am honored to serve as the 2018 CMP Governance Commission Chair. The commission is a standing committee of the Events Industry Council that is responsible for representing the needs of current and future certified meeting professionals in all sectors of the meeting profession. This helps to ensure the CMP program’s policies are developed and maintained using best practices in professional certifications, and that the CMP program is psychometrically sound and legally defensible. In short, we are a committee that represents you and will steward the CMP certification into the future.

As we head into 2018, I encourage you to make the most of your CMP. Whether you are a new CMP looking for your next career move, or a tenured CMP who values how the certification has helped you advance your career, consider what 2018 will bring. And there are MANY options at your disposal, including: 

• Using tools and resources available to CMP’s through the Events Industry Council website.
• Sharing your CMP success story with others or teach a CMP study course.
• Mentoring a future CMP
• Earning clock hours towards recertification
• Aspiring to get the Certified Meeting Professional healthcare subspecialty (CMP-HC).
• Attending the CMP Conclave,November 16-18
• Applying for recertification, as I will be doing in 2018!

This year marks 15 years since I obtained my CMP, and I am forever grateful for the opportunities that it has afforded me. It helped me advance my career by being able to obtain positions that were only available to those holding their CMP. I made great friendships with those with whom I took a CMP study course. I still keep in touch with and can rely on them for advice or best practice sharing. I gained a large network of CMPs with 11,000 meeting professionals in 55 countries around the globe. I am proud to be a part of a community that aims to increase the professionalism of the industry.

We have a great commission working for our community this year, with several new and returning members. Returning members include Matt DiSalvo, Barbara Connell, Aleka Garcia, Timothy Glanzer, Verena Jandak-Hollenthoner, Leslie Jones, Steven Lorenz and Robert Webb. New to the commission are: Jessica McLane Gann, Tyra Hilliard, Cornelia Horner, Deanne House and Alisa Stewart.

I look forward to working with this dedicated group of professionals.

Cheers to 2018!

Erin Tench, CMP, CMM

Events Industry Council