Are You Certifiable?

Alphabet Soup

The CMP program is administered by the Virginia-based Convention Industry Council, which has 31 member organizations that represent more than 100,000 people in the meetings, conventions, and exhibitions industry. The CSEP program is managed by the smaller International Special Events Society, a Chicago-based association designed for those who work on corporate parties or other events—those with a networking or celebratory purpose—more than business meetings meant for training or education.

Local planners say a CMP certification is better suited for meeting professionals who focus on business meetings, such as strategic planning or sales conferences, while the CSEP designation—and the Special Events Society in general—is geared more to planners of special events, whether corporate or private. A planner can attain both certifications, and there are a dozen other more specialized certification programs—for travel planners, convention center managers, hotel staff—offered by associations in the meeting, events, travel, and hospitality industries.

CMP and CSEP certifications are available to hospitality suppliers as well as event planners. More than 10,000 meeting and event professionals around the world have earned their CMP since the certification debuted in 1985. Approximately 500 people have earned the CSEP certification, and ISES reports that 50 of its members plan to sit for the exam in 2006.

Collen’s MBA analogy is apt. As with earning an advanced degree, obtaining CSEP or CMP certification requires a lot of studying and a challenging final test. Unlike an MBA, however, planners cannot earn either a CSEP or a CMP designation without some on-the-job experience. Candidates must earn a minimum number of points through education, job experience, and industry involvement before they are even able to apply to take the tests. The certification process is designed to ensure that candidates have real-life experience and know-how as well as in-depth knowledge of useful (and sometimes arcane) facts. (Quick, what are the dimensions of a king-sized bed?)

Making the Grade

An applicant for CMP and CSEP certification must demonstrate a broad range of experience in the field of meeting management before being considered. The CMP program requires three years of professional experience, but most say it takes closer to five before one has accrued enough points to apply for certification. The criteria for earning points are specific. For instance, if more than 76 percent of your job responsibilities relate to meeting management, you accrue four points per year of employment. Planners are awarded five points for becoming a member of a meeting management organization.

The points process makes certification a long-term goal. “It’s not just something you half-heartedly decide you’re going to do,” says Denise Woods, CMP, director of communications and events at the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota, a St. Paul–based, nonprofit lobbying association for the state’s construction industry. “You have to prepare for it long before you actually take the test.”