Sina Bünte, CMP, DES | Founder of DigitalMind.events

How many years have you been a CMP?

Three years

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Bielefeld, Germany, and am now living in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

What was your educational field of study and, if notably different from what you do, what is your how/why story?

I studied International Business and Management with a major in Business Events at the University of Applied Sciences in Osnabrück, Germany. Due to the university being a member of ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association), I was able to do an internship in the Events Team and that’s how I entered the association industry.

What advice would you give, either to your younger self or to newer professionals now?

It is a really exciting time for young professionals entering the industry now. Their digital skills and experience growing up with technology and social media are a huge benefit and bring a lot of value to companies. This enables the young professionals to share their ideas and have a direct impact on event design.

What advice would you give to anyone preparing to take the exam?

While reading the chapters, take notes by hand and prepare your own summary. That really helped me to remember the content. Additionally, I downloaded an app with questions so that I could study on the go or when I had some free time.

When did you first hear about the CMP designation and what drew you to this certification?

The CMP Programme was very present in ICCA’s Events Department. My former colleague Joanne Joham has been the Chair of the CMP Governance Commission and other colleagues of the team held the designation. I’m a strong believer in continuous education and lifelong learning. Therefore, after receiving the Digital Events Strategist certification in 2016, I was looking forward to taking the CMP course in 2018.

What inspires you the most when you think about the future of our industry or the impact of our industry?

The events industry has undergone a dramatic shift during the past year, causing an acceleration of technology adoption and digitalisation. We will come back stronger and with higher quality events than before. I’m very excited about adding the digital component to events and year-round community engagement, which enables us to reach a wider audience and people that didn’t have the chance to take part in events before. By bringing people together and giving them a platform to meet, exchange knowledge and collaborate, whether it is in-person or virtual, we all contribute to the significant impact business events have on the economy and society.

Favorite snack?

Cookies

What is the biggest life lesson you have learned during the pandemic?

The pandemic has taught me a lot but mostly to be resilient. Adapting to change and recognising that when things don’t go according to plan the journey isn’t necessarily over but it can be an opportunity.

What is the most memorable in-person experience you planned?

During my time at ICCA, I had the opportunity to travel to different corners of the globe and create memorable in-person experiences such as social evenings in the jungle in Borneo, in the desert close to Dubai or in a village in Japan. But no matter where the events took place, I like looking back at them; remembering the thankful and happy delegates and the amazing connections I made at in-person events.

What is the most memorable virtual event you have done so far?

I still remember the last 30 min of the first virtual event I organised in May 2020, bringing together around 150 event professionals. During the happy hour, we did karaoke and all together sang "I Will Survive." That was not only a fun moment but also showed the strength of our community and that we stand together to overcome the pandemic.

In addition to this one, the ICCA Congress 2020 was also an event that I won’t forget soon. I was leading the project, which was a hybrid event with eight hubs around the world that we put together within few months. Even though I wasn’t able to travel to any in-person locations, I felt the emotions and the happiness of the participants who were meeting face-to-face but also the gratefulness of the virtual attendees that we provided education and sense of community.

What are the benefits you like of hosting virtual events?

I see a lot of benefits of hosting virtual events or adding a digital component to in-person events such as giving everyone the choice of how they want and can attend, greater sustainability, extended and unlimited global reach and personalisation of content.

What do you miss the most for in-person events? Or do you miss it at all?

As a planner, I miss the moment of standing in the back of the room at the opening session, when the lights switch on, loud music is played, the room is filled with people and you finally experience all you have planned for months or years happening.

Additionally, all the emotions and feelings that are created by in-person events and memorable experiences shared with other attendees.