Letter from the Chair of CMP Governance Commission Janet Sperstad, CMP

Right around the corner is our industry’s first Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID). Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC) is hosting what has the potential to be the single, biggest global impact of awareness our industry has ever had. It will highlight the value of business meetings, events and exhibitions have on the communities we work, live and play in. By now you have probably heard about Meetings Mean Business Coalition, but to refresh your memory MMBC was created in 2009 by the U.S. Travel Association to showcase the incredible value that business meetings, travel and events bring to the U.S. economy. Its members span all facets of the face-to-face industry, which have come together behind a common goal: providing the resources, tools and information to show the real impact the industry has on businesses, economies and communities.

So what does all of this have to do with you and the CMP? Everything. This is where the rubber meets the road. Putting CMP behind your name is more know stating you passed the test. You represent the subject matter experts, the skilled professionals, and the best of the best in our industry. Without you, our industry would not be the profession it is today. You help bring to life who the skilled professionals are, what they do and the business values of meetings. Employers seek out CMP candidates more than any other candidate. Having this credential sets you apart from others and helps the event industry show the real power of what business meetings, events and exhibitions collectively do for people, businesses and communities. There are more than 10,000 of us in 55 countries around the globe. Let’s raise our voice on April 14 together as a family of CMPs and advocate for what we know to be true, Meetings Mean Business.

Advocacy most often doesn’t happen by grabbing a bullhorn and shouting. But in quiet moments, in conversations, and standing up when moments like GMID come about. When I met with the U.S. Department of Labor last year to discuss the event industry being broken out from hospitality industry into its own sector, MMBC played a critical role in my discussions. I never would have achieved the success I did without the facts, figures and stories MMBC provides. The other lynch pin in this success is the CMP. Having a body of knowledge represented by a credential was the turning point. You didn’t know it but you supported me and our cause to be defined as its own sector. I ask you to support GMID however you best can. To learn more about what you can do to make a difference, check out the Global Meetings Industry Day website here.

Thanks for being a CMP and standing up for our profession. Together, we can do anything.

Peace. Janet

The Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) is a
program of the Convention Industry Council

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