Through the CMP program, individuals who are currently employed in meeting management have the opportunity to pursue continuing education, increase their industry involvement, and gain industry-wide recognition by achieving the CMP designation. The requirements for certification are based on professional experience and a written examination.

The foremost certification program of today’s meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry, the CMP program recognizes individuals who have achieved the industry’s highest standard of professionalism. Established in 1985, the CMP credential was developed to increase the proficiency of meeting professionals in any component or sector of the industry by:

• Identifying a body of knowledge;
• Establishing a level of knowledge and performance necessary for certification;
• Stimulating the advancement of the art and science of meeting management;
• Increasing the value of practitioners to their employers;
• Recognizing and raising industry standards, practices and ethics;
• Maximizing the value received from the products and services provided by Certified Meeting Professionals.

A Certification Board designated by CIC (Convention Industry Council) governs the program, and includes one representative from each planner organization of CIC and four representatives from the supplier category. The CMP Board seeks to represent the diversity that exists within the profession and serve as a voice for stakeholders who have an interest in maintaining a high meeting industry standard.

The elite CMP community now numbers over 12,000, with representatives from every sector of the industry – from corporations and associations to governmental and institutional organizations – in 32 countries.

Why Become a CMP?

• Recognition: As the premier industry certification, the CMP distinguishes holders as career professionals who have demonstrated a high level of experience, skill and knowledge.
• Competitive Advantage: The designation conveys credibility to a meeting professionals opinions and ideas, both at work and in the greater meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry.
• Peer Acceptance: CMPs are immediately recognized by other CMPs as fellow professionals committed to the advancement of the profession.
• Salary Enhancement: CMPs can use the certification as a competitive advantage when it comes to negotiating salaries and other business.
• Personal Achievement: After passing a rigorous application and examination process, CMPs express a profound sense of personal achievement at finally being regarded as the exceptionally skilled professional they are.
• Commitment: Successful completion of the certification process conveys that the certified meeting professional is committed and goal driven in their career.

Fees Associated with the CMP Program

Fees for the CMP Program run $225 for the CMP Application Fee and $450 for Exam Registration. If you have the experience and want to boost your position within your company or start your own business, having the CMP Certification is well worth the money.

For more information regarding the CMP Program, just check out their website.

Information provided by the CIC.

The current annual membership for MPI is $375 and that doesn’t include access to the hundreds of events held every month across the nation. Each additional event will range from $15 to $775 for conference registration. Having been a member of MPI for a number of years, as a student and professional, and as an event planner and vendor, I can tell you that there are better ways to learn about event planning and validate your skills. Don’t get me wrong, if your company is willing to pay for your MPI membership, and you are a power networker, you may find MPI to be of great value for you. But, if you want to learn the basic meeting management skills, look no further than your local community college or state university. With the meeting and event industry booming, many colleges are creating professional development programs that teach the art and science of meeting planning.

If you are considering joining MPI I suggest attending 3 – 4 events and see how you like it. It’s worth the extra $10 or $20 for the non-member fee to see if the program fits your needs.

Additional Resources:

• Sacramento State – Continuing Education Meeting Planning Certification Program
• San Diego State - Meeting and Event Planning
• Sonoma State – Extended Education Event and Meeting Planning Certification
• check your local community college for more…

Have a great idea for a promotional product or giveaway you’d like to share? Leave a comment below.

Whether it’s spilling drinks or spilling company secrets, the holiday office party is an occasion ripe for faux pas (or worse). So before you throw back a drink (or three) and saddle up to the CEO to discuss the new healthcare plan, get familiar with the five biggest office party mistakes and how to avoid them.

1) Arriving Unfashionably Late to the Office Party (or Not at All)

Unless you have a legitimate excuse (a friend’s much better party doesn’t count), you should do your best to make an appearance at the holiday office party. According Colleen A. Rickenbacher, business etiquette expert and author of Be on Your Best Business Behavior, you should always arrive within the first 15 minutes of an invitation.

“If it’s a come and go kind of party, the CEO and chairman of the board will be there when the party starts,” says Rickenbacher. “If you show up late, you’ll miss them completely or pass them on their way out the door, which doesn’t make a good impression.”

Both Rickenbacher and Rachel Weingarten, author of Career and Corporate Cool, suggest staying at the office party for at least 30 to 45 minutes but not leaving before any award ceremony or special event.

“Make sure you get around to the key people, chit-chat for a minute or two, and thank the person who organized the event,” says Weingarten.

2) Dressing Inappropriately for the Office Party

You want to be noticed, but not necessarily for what you’re wearing. If the room is full of cocktail dresses and suits, and you’re sporting a “festive” snowman sweater, you’re going to stand out. Likewise, anything too low, too tight, or too short could get you the wrong kind of attention. Rickenbacher suggests asking the organizers what they’re wearing to help guide your decision.

3) Bringing a Date (Who Wasn’t Invited)

Don’t assume you can bring a date to the office party unless it says so on the invitation. And, if the invite does call for a guest, make sure you bring someone you know. Explaining your relationship (or lack thereof) can be awkward for everyone involved and lead to faux pas number four.

4) Drinking Too Much

Excessive drinking is the story behind many social disasters which makes it the worst office party offense.

“People hear ‘party’ and they forget the word ‘office.’ They act in a way that they would when they’re out with friends or with their family,” says Weingarten. “You end up making mistakes that your family has to forgive you for, but your co-workers or your boss can fire you for.”

Play it cool by eating before your first drink and mingling as far away from the punch bowl as possible.

5) Being Ungrateful to the Party Hosts

Remember that the office party is put on to thank you and your colleagues for your hard work. Both Weingarten and Rickenbacher suggest bringing a small gift for the organizer or host of the office party, like a desk calendar, a book, a candle, or a bottle of wine.

“By thanking the host or hostess, you’re also doing a bit of PR for yourself,” says Weingarten. “If this person is responsible for gathering everyone in the company, then this is also the person who has everyone’s ear.”

So, what if you wake up the morning after and realize you made a boo-boo at the office party? According to Weingarten, it’s possible to recover from these mistakes – if they’re forgivable. Making a fool of yourself is forgivable. Spilling a drink on someone is forgivable. Gossiping about your supervisor in the bathroom only to realize she’s in the stall next door is nerve-wracking, but forgivable. If your screw-up didn’t hurt anyone but you, a simple non-committal card (“Here’s hoping I wasn’t too stupid!”) will do. If you’ve insulted someone, it’s important to apologize in person as soon as possible. And if you do something that’s unforgivable (like sleep with a married co-worker or spill the beans on a top-secret project), well, you’re on your own.

• Create flexible and powerful online registration forms
• Generate event websites to promote your event
• Accept online payments including credit cards and PayPal
• Run unlimited customizable reports
• Print custom name badges
• Create post-event surveys

Click here to see more sample registrations. I know they look complex and time-consuming to create, but I promise you it is quite simple. If you don’t believe me, they offer a free unlimited trial will full access to the product. You won’t be charged until you decide to go live with your event and start registrations. At that point you can choose your pricing option – either $4.75 per registrant for small events, or $3.50 per registrant plus $150 setup for large events. There are no monthly or annual fees.For your next event give RegOnline a test drive and see how your attendees will be impressed with how professional and organized your event has become. When planning, don’t forget to add in items like meal preferences, dietary restrictions, shirt sizes, product sales, conference CD’s, and surveys straight into the registration process.

The three leading online meeting tools are WebEx, GoToMeeting, and Microsoft Live Meeting. A few things to think about when selecting your web conferencing solution are: (1) average number of attendees per meeting, (2) average number of monthly meetings, and (3) what features are essential to your business. There are a number of free and discounted tools available, so please leave a comment on this post if you have a recommendation for another solution not listed.

Here is a brief overview:

• WebEx – offers 14 day free trial, allow others to share screen for multiple presenters, record and playback online meetings, pay per use $0.33 per minute, special offer for 5 or more named users at $75 per month, per host, plus $0.05 per minute, per user toll call-in and $0.20 per minute, per user toll-free call-in US/Canada
• GoToMeeting – offers 30 day free trial, monthly rate of $49 and includes unlimited conferences with a maximum of 15 participants per conference, no licensing for attendees, includes toll-based phone number for each meeting at no cost
• Microsoft Live Meeting – offers 60 day free trial, provides meeting reports and interactive white board, minimum of 5 users required with a monthly fee of $4.58 per user per month who can each schedule and manage meetings up to 15 users, plus additional $0.25 per minute (monthly use-it-or-lose-it commitment required)

One final note, be sure to check out The World Clock Meeting Planner to find a convenient time to meet when participants are in multiple time zones.

• Guest Room
• Breakfast
• Morning Break
• Lunch
• Afternoon Break
• Dinner
• Meeting Room Rental
• Standard A/V (audio/visual) equipment (e.g. flip chart and projector)
• and, the “++” taxes and gratuity

As a former sales and conference planning manager for the hospitality industry I will bring you more posts on meeting and event planning. But, for now, save yourself the hassle of arranging all the details ‘a la carte’ and find a hotel that offers a CMP.