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Certification program. Certificate program. What’s the difference? As a holder of the CMP designation, you know that you had to take an exam that assessed your knowledge, skills, and competencies you acquired over the years. This knowledge is based on the body of knowledge called the CMP International Standards. You also know that you didn’t simply attend a training class or read a manual to earn your CMP designation. Therein lies the difference in the two programs. We see a lot of certificate programs in the marketplace and to help you determine what the right educational product is for you and your staff, I wanted to take a moment to dive deeper into the underpinnings of the differences between certificate programs vs. certification programs. A professional certification program – like the CMP – is experienced-based, meaning you must have the hands-on knowledge to be successful in passing the exam. Certification programs always have a recertification requirement that shows that once you’ve earned the designation, you have pledged to remain current in the field by participating in continuing education activities. Very few certificate programs require any continual learning components. When you attend a certificate program you often receive a "certificate of completion." This document means you completed the learning experience. Certificate programs often do not have an assessment tied to the training or learning experience to prove that you have learned what was being taught. There are some certificate programs that do have an assessment component but understand that the assessment is to prove what you have been taught and learned during that training. An assessment-based certificate program’s goal is to help the participant’s acquire specific knowledge. These certificates are tied to a specific learning outcomes, where the assessment at the end of the course says you have learned what the instructor was teaching. So in short, you are tested on the outcome of that training. Regardless of the type of certificate program you attend, know that it was not a certification. There are many well-respected certificate programs in the meetings industry. And these programs are often attended by those applying for or recertifying their CMP. In fact, many of these programs have been pre-approved by CIC for CMP credit through the CIC’s Preferred Provider Program. The goal of the CMP Governance Commission is to ensure that the CMP program’s policies follow best practices for a certification program. We do this by aligning our policies with the standards set by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies’ Standards for Accreditation of Certification Programs, published by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). We use these standards to create the body of knowledge for the CMP program, to set the eligibility requirements, to ensure the exam is psychometrically sound and that the recertification requirements measure or enhance the continued competence of those who hold the CMP designation. When you wear the CMP after your name, you can be confident that you have completed a best-in-class certification program that is built on a robust program and exam, and when your employers and peers see those letters after your name, they know you’ve pledged to remain current in the field by recertifying. Your CMP certification will stand the test of time and we pledge to make sure it remains best-in-class certification. You deserve it. You make our industry stronger. Peace, Janet |
 Karyn Buxman |
See our Keynote speaker, Karyn Buxman, deliver "Lead with Levity: Strategic Humor for Successful Leaders."
Successful people – in business, politics and life in general – have something in common: they understand that levity is an important trait for effective leaders. Churchill, Kennedy and Reagan were all masters at using wit on the world stage; the characters in M*A*S*H used gallows humor to retain their sanity amid horrendous conditions; and your audience can learn how to use humor effectively in their daily work lives. Properly used, levity is a dynamic strategy that enhances communication, strengthens resilience, and increases engagement. Karyn uses (hysterical) anecdotes, (solid) research and (practical) tips to help your audience leverage levity in the service of better leadership. |
Sponsored by Goodman Speakers Bureau
Register for Conclave now to attend!
 Join the Convention Industry Council’s CMP Only Group as a hosted buyer at IMEX America 2016 – the show that’s constantly innovating and presenting new business discoveries, AND where you’ll find best in class education and inspiration at every turn. Qualifications: IMEX America requires full details of three events you have organized – two of which must be past events occurring within the last 18 months (last three years for association buyers). The third can be a confirmed upcoming event, which will occur in the next 12 months (or the next three years for association buyers), or another past event. Each event must be a minimum of 10 pax.
If you are interested in becoming our hosted buyer, RSVP here. We will register your interest and send you an application link for the IMEX America Hosted Buyer Program in June.
As an added benefit of being a buyer with us you will receive a complimentary lounge ticket to the exciting Hall of Leaders and Pacesetters Celebration, with open bar, food and plenty of entertainment and networking while celebrating the industry’s best and brightest current leaders and emerging stars. |
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Contribute to CMP Today and CMP Pathway and earn credits towards your recertification! Submit an original article XX words or more on a topic that aligns with one of the 10 domains in the International Standards Body of Knowledge to be published in a CIC newsletter and earn credit.
Email your submissions to cmptoday@talley.com. |
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As a meeting or event planner, you are charged with a myriad of tasks when planning a conference. Often the most challenging of these is finding that perfect speaker for your event. The process often starts something like this ... Step 1. Google "keynote speakers." Step 2. Watch YouTube videos for three hours. Step 3. Get frustrated. Step 4. Repeat. With literally thousands of options, finding the right speaker for your event can be time-consuming and overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. By engaging a speakers bureau, you can leverage expertise, maximize your time, mitigate risk, and maybe even look like a hero when the event is over ... all at no cost to you. What is a "Speakers Bureau?" If you don’t know what a speakers bureau is, you’re not alone. When I started working in the bureau industry 10 years ago, it was completely by accident, as I had no idea what one was either. Using a speakers bureau to find a speaker is like using a real estate agent to buy a house. A good real estate agent is an industry expert who is with you every step of the way, from finding that perfect house to negotiating the contract and ensuring a smooth closing. Leverage Expertise Speakers bureaus are experts at booking speakers and entertainers, working mostly with corporate, association and nonprofit clients, and they’ve seen many of the speakers they book in a "live" setting. This experience allows them to recommend the best, most talented, most dynamic speaker, i.e. the one best-suited to meet your event objectives for your event. Even if you’re a DIY kind of person, it can be challenging to keep up on the hottest speakers, best-selling authors, popular TEDx speakers, those talking about recent trends in business and/or your industry. And even if you found a speaker you liked, how would you know if he/she is really good just by watching a 90-second video clip? Who else has hired the speaker before? Were they happy with their choice? Will the speaker customize their presentation? A speakers bureau knows which questions are important to ask and will get the answers quickly. Effectively Manage Time Using their internal database and industry resources and contacts, a speakers bureau will do all the research needed to put together recommendations that not only fit your budget but meet your event objectives. They will also make sure each speaker is actually available on the date of your event. A speakers bureau also coordinates calls to discuss content and customization, prepares contracts and invoices, and handles all event logistics. Their effort saves you oodles of time. And anxiety. Risk Mitigation Selecting the right speaker is just the beginning. A speakers bureau will negotiate essential contract terms as well as any "extras" you may want (pre-event activities, book signings, additional programs, etc.) from the speaker. And from the "your worst nightmare" category, sometimes a speaker cancels or can’t make your event due to an unforeseen emergency. While it is rare, it’s a possibility that deserves a back-up plan. If you’ve utilized a speakers bureau, they will use their vast speaker contacts to find the best replacement speaker for your event – quickly. Where to Begin There are lots of choices out there when it comes to speakers bureaus, so it’s important to find a bureau with a proven reputation for providing a high level of quality, service and value to its clients. Members of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB), are required to adhere to Professional Standards as a condition of membership. And having just returned from the annual IASB convention, I can attest to the professionalism of members who travel each year to learn from outside experts, and each other, in order to better serve clients and the industry as a whole. The volume of expertise and knowledge in this association is inspiring! Having previously worked for a speakers bureau and now as a "speaker agent," I’ve experienced the speaker booking process from both sides. When an IASB Member Bureau books one of my speakers for their client’s event, I know the details will be handled with great attention and the client’s goals will be met. This sets my speaker up for success before they even arrive. And the meeting planner? They’ll be a hero. |
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Mariela McIlwraith, CMP, CMM, MBA
Director, Sustainability
Green Meeting Industry Council
There are lots of easy ways to start reducing your event’s carbon footprint. Here’s a list to get you started.
10. Work with your partners: Both planners and suppliers can benefit from collaboration to reduce carbon emissions. Planners need the commitment of suppliers to provide low-carbon choices for everything from food and beverage (such as less meat and dairy) to energy sources. Suppliers need planners to support initiatives through selecting lower carbon choices and educating event participants about reducing their carbon footprint. 9. Get creative with transportation: Transportation can be the most significant contributor to an event’s carbon footprint. To help manage this, encourage participants to walk, ride-share or use public transportation and choose destinations that are in proximity to the majority of your attendees or with good "lift" (lots of direct flights). On the creative side, make walking part of the cultural experience and include entertainment or local points of interest on your walking routes.
8. Turn up the tech: Hybrid meetings, those that combine face-to-face and virtual elements can help reduce travel related emissions, and making more participation possible. Mobile apps can also reduce your dependence on carbon intensive products, including printed materials. 7. Regenerate carbon storage capacity: Carbon storage (or sequestration) is the process through which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored in carbon sinks, like forests, oceans and soil. As an example, carbon dioxide is absorbed by trees, plants and crops through photosynthesis. When we cut down trees to (for example) to make paper for event guides, we reduce the earth’s carbon storage capacity. While planting trees is not a perfect solution, it is a practical way of helping to increase carbon storage. Look also for venues with a green roof. 6. Be flexible: Increasing your flexibility is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. For example, rather than committing months in advance to a specific menu, leave flexibility with the chef to find the best low carbon options at the time of your event.
5. Measure, manage and report: The Global Reporting Initiative’s Event Organizers’ Sector Supplement provides guidance for how to go about measuring and reporting sustainability initiatives for events. My "go-to" tool for calculating travel-related emissions is the Flight Emissions Calculator at www.offsetters.ca. They use emissions factors provided by UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in its "2013 Guidelines to DEFRA / DECC’s GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting." They also apply a radiative forcing factor as recommended by Oxford University and UK DEFRA and an uplift factor from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, "Aviation and the Global Atmosphere" to take into account non-direct routes. 4. If you’re going to splurge ... make it count: There are some amazing things in this world that I believe are worth the carbon. I fly in New Mexico Green Chile twice a year (and look for it every time I’m in the U.S.). I recommend saving your carbon splurges for something you really love and then savoring it. 3. Offset what you can’t avoid: Carbon offsets are a great second step after first reducing your carbon consumption. They work as a financial tool where the reductions by one party are purchased by another to compensate for carbon usage. Just watch for good quality offsets. 2. Consume better: When making choices of what to consume, look for better choices such as hybrid vehicles for your transportation needs. Look as well for lower carbon choices such as field-grown produce over greenhouse-grown produce. 1. Consume less: The best way to reduce your event’s carbon footprint is to consume less. I’m always astounded by the amount of wasted food and tossed paper at events. Let’s start using less of everything: water, paper, energy, food etc. And, let’s not forget ... using less also means spending less! |
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Every five years, CIC reaches out to all CMPs for their help in making sure the CMP program reflects the real-world knowledge and skills needed to be a successful meeting professional. On May 3, you received an email with a link to a survey that outlines the updates your peers have suggested for the CMP International Standards. If you haven’t done so already, please find this email and click on the survey link to make sure your voice is heard! The email was sent by CIC’s exam development partner Castle Worldwide using the following return email address: survey-noreply@bounce.research.neton behalf of surveyadmin@castleworldwide.comvia research.net member@research.net CMPs are the ones who help CIC develop the CMP program. Make your voice heard through your survey responses! If you cannot find this email, please contact Castle’s technical support at surveyadmin@castleworldwide.com, who are on hand to help you.
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Vanessa Bass, CMP, HMCC, is now the Event and Meeting Manager at Medical Exchange International in New York City, New York. Molly O'Neill Moir, CMP, is now the Director, Programs at the Parenteral Drug Association. Amelia Zaglul, CMP, is now Associate Director of Events at the Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market, a luxury lifestyle hotel by Hyatt, in Ottawa, Canada. Kim Becker, CMP, MBA, is now president of Emerald Meeting & Event Planning in Louisville, Ky. Tiffany Lord, CMP, is now the Program Manager for the U.S. Air Force Academy event support contract at E-9 Enterprises, Inc. Fu Kei Cheong, CMP and Rahul Bharadwaj, CMP, moved on from Reliance Conventions & Events and co-founded My Meeting Partner @ Anderes Fourdy. |
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Convention Industry Council 700 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 510 Alexandria, VA, USA, 22314 Tel: 571-527-3116 |
Published by Naylor, LLC in association with the Convention Industry Council