The Certified Meeting Professional program aims to increase the professionalism of meeting-management professionals and encompasses all sectors of the industry. The CMP certification is a professional investment that can pay dividends; the process of obtaining the CMP helps to grow one's network, increases one's earning potential, and keeps one on track to accomplish career goals.

The Convention Industry Council sponsors the CMP program. The CIC is composed of 32 members, representing more than 100,000 individuals, as well as 15,000 companies and properties involved in meetings, conventions, and exhibitions industries. The CIC was formed in 1949 to provide a forum for member organizations seeking to enhance the industry.

The CMP board gives direction, design, and development to the program, and a representative from each of the member organizations holds membership in the CIC. The CMP board serves as the voice for stakeholders dedicated to maintaining the highest industry standards.

RCMA was one of the founders of the CMP program. It was launched in 1985 to enhance the knowledge and performance of meeting professionals, to promote the status and credibility of the meeting profession, and to advance uniform standards of practice. The CMP credential enjoys worldwide recognition as the badge of excellence in the meetings, conventions, and exhibitions industry. The requirements for certification are based on professional experience and a rigorous examination. More than 12,000 people in 34 countries hold the CMP designation.

The CMP program addresses all industry sectors. It does this by identifying a body of knowledge in the meeting-management profession; establishing the level of knowledge and performances required for certification; stimulating the advancement of the art and science of meeting management; increasing the value of practitioners to their employers; recognizing and raising industry standards, practices, and ethics; and maximizing the value received from the products and services provided by CMPs.

For more information, attend the CMP tutorial at RCMA 2010 and visit www.conventionindustry.org/cmp.