With spring often comes new beginnings, and Matt reflects on some new beginnings stemming from the Certified Meetings Professionals (CMP) Governance Commission’s Spring Meeting in Dallas last week, including what we should be looking forward to in the months ahead.

The 2017 CMP Conclave will be held November 13-15 at the MGM National Harbor, Maryland, MGM's newest luxury resort, retail, dining, entertainment and gaming experience. The Events Industry Council is seeking inspiring presenters for our concurrent sessions that offer different planning perspectives to share the latest trends, topics and best practices with our attendees.

These are exciting times! Over the past month, we have announced a transition to a new management firm and opened the doors to new offices in Washington, D.C., all while still fulfilling our daily mission of serving the events industry.

As the premier certification for meeting and event professionals, the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) program represents current practices and skills required for competency in the profession. As such, the CMP must review its body of knowledge every five (5) years through a Job Analysis Study to ensure the content of the exam remains relevant. The resulting document is the CMP International Standards (CMP-IS) and is the basis of the CMP exam content. The job analysis was conducted in 2016 in a two-pronged process. First, a panel of CMPs representative of the entire CMP community met to review the current standards and made recommendations for revisions. Secondly, all CMPs were invited to complete a survey to validate the results. Click the Learn More link below to read more about the 2017 changes to the CMP International Standards.

Association Day – May 15, 2017 Are you an association professional attending IMEX Frankfurt? If yes, then you need to be at Association Day this year. This free event is designed exclusively for association professionals and was researched and re-designed for 2017 to focus on the greatest challenges facing associations across the world. Find out more and register your interest today! IMEX Frankfurt – May 16-18, 2017 IMEX in Frankfurt brings meeting and event professionals together from around the globe. The Events Industry Council will be there, sharing educational insights and information. Learn how to get your event on the sustainable track, and discover new ideas and menu suggestions. Join an educational session presented by Mariela McIlwraith on behalf of our Sustainability program. Explore event risk in our changing world with findings from APEX, part of our Knowledge program. Want to learn more about the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) program? Have questions about the exciting future for the Events Industry Council? Come see us at stand number G206. XDP – Experience Design Project – May 23-24 at the Gaylord National Use DISCOUNT CODE: CMPSATXDP17 when registering in order to receive a $400 discount, making registration $295! And if you register a third person from your organization, they are free! Special Offers/Discount Codes/ASAE Access Pass: Use of a discount code is only valid at the time of the initial purchase/registration. Refunds will not be authorized for existing registrations where the special offer was received after the initial purchase.

Have you been quoted in an article? Do you have some exciting news to share? Contact us at cmptoday@eventscouncil.org and we can share it with the leading individuals and companies involved in the events industry!

Let us help you celebrate! Send the details of your latest career triumph to cmptoday@eventscouncil.org. And while you're at it, be sure to log into www.eventscouncil.org and update your official CMP record.