MPI Imports CMM Certification To U.S.
<B> MPI Imports CMM Certification To U.S.</B>
By Judy Jacobs
Meeting Professionals International will for the first time offer its Certification in Meeting Management program in the United States this fall. While taking some heat for introducing yet another educational program to the meetings industry, MPI also is taking credit for a program that many say raises the level of professionalism and gives corporate meeting buyers useful skills for doing business in a increasingly sophisticated and international marketplace.
After contacting more than 40 universities with undergraduate degree programs in hotel or hospitality management (<I>Meetings Today</I>, Jan. 26), MPI has chosen Michigan State University and its School of Hospitality Business as its partner in offering the certification program.
Originally introduced by MPI in Europe in 1995, the CMM was endorsed by the Insitut de Management Hotelier International in Paris, making it the first university-endorsed educational program for the meetings industry.
Where the CMP certification sponsored in the United States by the Convention Liaison Council focuses on meeting planning logistics and nuts-and-bolts skills, the CMM is geared more toward meeting the needs of managers who need to understand the broader strategic planning issues. An ideal candidate would be an experienced meeting professional; a senior-level independent meeting planner, special events organizer or professional conference organizer; or a seasoned industry supplier.
The first CMM course on U.S. soil, a five-day residential program, will be held Sept. 13-17 at Michigan State. The curriculum includes such topics as Future Trends in Hospitality Management, Effectively Managing Technology & Advanced Computer Lab, Financial Management, Ensuring a Healthy Bottom Line, Thinking and Acting Strategically and Conducting Business Globally.
To qualify for the program, prospective participants must fill out a six-page self-assessment form that highlights their professional and educational background, meetings management experience, skills and professional contributions. Points are given for years of experience, professional education and other factors, and a certain number of points are necessary to qualify.
Upon acceptance, participants will complete the five-day course at Michigan State University in East Lansing. This will be immediately followed by a three-part exam consisting of short answer and essay questions, which will be held on Sept. 18. The program also includes a take-home case study.
The price of participation is $995 for MPI members or $1,195 for non-member planners. The exam fee is $275, or $350 for non-members, and the self assessment processing fee is $25, or $50 for non-members.
Michigan State University's Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center is providing lodging at a cost of $81 per night single/double, including breakfast and lunch daily. Some scholarships are available from several corporate sponsors.
Marianne Demko, CMP, CMM and manager of research meetings for Wyeth-Ayerst Research in Radnor, Pa., is one of only six people in the United States who has attained the certification. She attended a CMM program in Brussels in December 1997 and felt the experience was well worthwhile.
"I am very happy I took the course. It is the first university-endorsed education program for the meetings industry that endorses the planner to move into a more strategic role within their organization," she said. "This program has enabled me to teach the ROI (return on investment) process to my staff and to take our meetings at Wyeth-Ayerst Research to the cutting edge of the industry.
"We continually focus on validating the success of a meeting based on the objective and corporate strategic goals. Overall, this certification gives the meetings industry the tools needed to validate and demonstrate professionalism, which will move the profession to new levels."
Although at press time no planners had yet registered to participate in the program, quite a few expressed interest, and each had their own reasons. Said Serena Leiser, director of meetings for the American Association of Orthodontists headquartered in St. Louis, "What I like about the program is being in an educational setting for a week and being able to totally focus on what I am learning. Being with other leaders in the industry during the week will be an incredible experience and the networking possibilities will be phenomenal."
And where the CMP program is "more tactical in nature, my responsibilities are more strategic," she noted. "When I saw the curriculum, with its focus on such things as future trends, thinking and working strategically and global management, I knew it would be good, since these are the issues I'm involved in. I was on the international board of MPI as we went through the process of all of this, and I'm very excited."
The global focus also is a draw for Leiser, since about 25 percent of the attendance of her annual meetings, out of a total of 16,000, is international. Three years ago her organization chartered the World Congress of Orthodontists, which will hold its first formal meeting outside the U.S. in Europe in 2005. "We're doing business globally, so the issues addressed in the CMM program are critical to me. The CMM also will have more distinction when I do business in Europe," she said.
Louis Felsher, CMP, director of marketing, communications and events for American Century Investments in Mountain View, Calif., also sees the value of the CMM appellation in the international realm. "The CMM is more internationally recognized, and since I'm trying to take my department into the international realm, it will give me more credibility," she said. "From an educational perspective, the way the program has been designed and is being administered far surpasses anything else in existence. It measures a level of expertise and talent well beyond anything currently available."
While some maintain that adding another educational program to the hospitality industry weakens the programs that already exist--and there are many who feel that way--Felsher said the industry is big enough to accommodate this specialized one.
"It is quite different than the CMP, and I think it is valuable to have both," Felsher said. "The CMP measures a level of mechanical ability and provides a certain level of understanding and common knowledge of the industry. But the CMM provides the management leadership role.