Meeting Planner Careers

What do those acroynms mean? The meeting and event industry has at least four certifications for corporate planners, and many more for the suppliers and vendors who serve them. Here's a glossary of the acronyms you'll find trailing behind the names of  the industry's most dedicated and accomplished professionals.

CMP. The Convention Industry Council's Certified Meeting Professional designation is the most widely recognized in the industry. Started in 1985, meeting professionals — planners and suppliers — who have earned the CMP credential now number 11,269 in 27 countries. Candidates must have three years' experience and a full-time job in the industry; accrue a minimum number of points based on the scope of their responsibilities, education, professional contributions, and so on; and pass a written exam.

CMM. For meeting professionals — planners and suppliers — with at least 10 years' experience, Meeting Professionals International offers a Global Certification for Meeting Management program, focusing on strategic issues and executive decision making. Applicants must be accepted into the program and attend a five-day residency, after which they take an online exam and write a strategic business plan for either a new venture or their department. Now in its eighth year, the program has conferred 373 CMM certifications.

CITE. The Society of Incentive & Travel Executives launched its Certified Incentive Travel Executive certification program in 1980 to recognize high achievement in the field. Opened to non-SITE members in 2005, the designation requires incentive professionals to have a certain level of experience and involvement with SITE, work with a SITE member mentor, pass a three-hour written exam, and write a 3,000-word research paper.

CSEP. The International Special Events Society established the Certified Special Event Professional designation in 1983 to recognize competence and experience in the special event field. The requirements include an exam and portfolio review. Twice yearly exam dates coincide with the Special Event Show and ISES EventWorld.

DMCP. The Destination Management Certified Professional designation, established in 2001 by the Association of Destination Management Executives, is awarded to those who demonstrate expertise, experience, and ethical awareness in destination management. The first exams were held in 2002, and now 94 certified DMCPs are on the books; all but two are from the United States.

CDME. The Destination Marketing Association International, in conjunction with Purdue University, has a program in which convention bureau executives earn a CDME designation — Certified Destination Management Executive.

Sources: http://meetingsnet.com/,  Convention Industry Council,www.conventionindustry.org; Meeting Professionals International,www.mpiweb.org; Society of Incentive & Travel Executives,www.site-intl.org; International Special Events Society,www.ises.com; Association of Destination Management Executives,www.adme.org; Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International,www.hsmai.org; Destination Marketing Association International,www.destinationmarketing.org; American Hotel and Lodging Association,www.ahla.com; Merriam-Webster Online,www.m-w.com

A great meeting planner is an exceptional listener. Developing good listening skills can be hard work, especially when so much of the work takes place over the telephone or through emails. Do you spend a good portion of your time thinking about how you are going to respond to client’s queries as he is talking? If you do, you’re likely to miss something important. Clients are often anxious about their budgets and their public reputations, especially if they are asking for help planning incentive travel.

It’s common to jot down notes when speaking with a client over the phone. It can be helpful to mirror back to the client what you understood him to say. This can help him clarify exactly what he means, which may not be what he said at all.

Listen optimistically. Don’t shoot down his ideas immediately even if you know what he wants can’t be done. It could be possible to amend his ideas or build on them to the satisfaction of both parties.

The ability to stay positive during an economic downturn inspires confidence in your client. That doesn’t mean you promise him the world when you know all you can reasonably deliver is the Jersey shore. It just means committing yourself to the project enthusiastically.

Many of these blog posts have been about the various meeting planner careers that are available to you. It doesn’t matter whether you want to plan events for nonprofits, weddings and honeymoons, corporate meetings, or incentive travel for top employees–there is a career to match your creative streak.

However, do you know what the job prospects are for your chosen profession? The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook has many of the answers you’re looking for. Even with the recession and government frown in the direction of meetings and planners, it says that this profession is expected to grow faster than average between 2006 and 2016.

It also says that some of this will be due to natural attrition–some people will retire, some will move on to other professions, and some may switch professions within the planning category. That said, the handbook also tells us, “Unlike workers in some occupations, meeting and convention planners often can change industries relatively easily, so they often are able to move to different industries in response to the growth or declines in particular sectors of the economy.”

This is important to consider when choosing your specialty. Think about the days when you might want to switch, or pretend that you are only planning a five-year-long career. If you think about where you want to go, and it’s within the meetings profession, you can start planning for it while you’re working and training now.

Thinking ahead should be one of your strong points as a meeting planner–use it for yourself as well, and be on top of things when you need a change.

Planning a career as an incentive travel specialist?  Take a cue from these ladies, and aspire to be the best in the industry.  Read more about the acheivements of Landry & Kling.

Incentive Travel Specialists Landry & Kling Named among Top Women-Led Businesses in Florida 2009

The Commonwealth Institute and Florida International University recently named Landry & Kling, corporate cruise specialists, among the ”Top 50 Women-Led Businesses in Florida.” The Miami-based cruise meeting experts ranked #13 in the state.

Coral Gables, FL (Vocus/PRWEB ) July 31, 2009 — The Commonwealth Institute and Florida International University recently named Landry & Kling, corporate cruise specialists, among the ”Top 50 Women-Led Businesses in Florida.” The Miami-based cruise meeting experts ranked #13 in the state.

Joyce Landry and Josephine Kling, Pioneers of the meetings-at-sea concept and founders of cruise event firm, Landry & Kling, in South Florida.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by TCI South Florida and FIU,” said Joyce Landry, CEO, Landry & Kling. “This, plus our recent induction into the CLIA Hall of Fame (Cruise Lines International Association) at the Cruise3Sixty Gala dinner, fills us with gratitude for having been able to create a business in the cruise industry, where many women have achieved top leadership roles.”

The College of Business Administration at Florida International University and The Commonwealth Institute (TCI) undertook this study to discover what distinguishes women who have made it to the top in Florida-based organizations. Nationwide, only 3% of top positions in organizations are filled by women although 50% of professional and managerial positions are held by women.

Women who are the senior executive or primary owner of companies or corporate subsidiaries with at least $1M in revenues or 25 employees were surveyed about their backgrounds, career progression, work habits, life choices, and motivation, along with their approaches to business strategy, operations, leadership, and personal development.

The study found that women-owned businesses are faring better in the down economy. One reason is that women tend to incur less debt so their businesses were less encumbered by financial obligations and stress. And, women are more optimistic about the future, which results in changing business practices to adjust with the times in order to retain good employees. They are less likely to cut staff as a first cost savings measure.

About Landry & Kling
Landry & Kling Inc. is a business-to-business resource founded in 1982 by Joyce Landry and Jo Kling to produce incentive cruises, full ship charters and all types of cruise events & meetings, team building, and business meetings at sea. In the fall 2009 they will introduce Seasite.com, the first online platform for cruise meetings and events. The company is based in Miami, the Cruise Capital of the World and is certified as a diversity supplier by WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council). Find oceans of information at www.landrykling.com and www.seasite.com

About The Commonwealth Institute
The Commonwealth Institute is a dynamic non-profit organization founded in 1997 to help women entrepreneurs, CEOs, and senior corporate executives build successful businesses. The goal of TCI is to reach women leaders during critical stages of their business and to provide them with the tools and resources needed for growth. Since its inception, The Commonwealth Institute has worked with several hundred woman-led companies in New England and Florida. www.commonwealthinstitute.org