Through a new online portal called RecertTrack, meeting professionals can track their continuing education and certification credits and find out about live and virtual education offerings.
Initially, the service was only available for Certified Association Executives, but this year it expanded to include 22 meetings and hospitality industry certifications, including the Certified Meeting Professional, Certified Special Events Professional, Destination Management Certified Professional, and Certified Hotel Administrator.
The portal allows meeting professionals to track their education courses and credits in one place online and track how far along they are on the path to recertfication. They are also prompted with reminders of when they need to recertify. It can also be used by employers to chart their employees’ certification credits.
RecertTrack Chief Executive Officer Cedric Calhoun, FASAE, CAE, said the service is designed to make the recertification process less cumbersome, time-consuming, and stressful. “Across the board, very little assistance exists beyond the recertification manuals, which are helpful, but I felt more needed to be done,” he said. “So, out of my own frustration and an identified need, I set out to build RecertTrack to help the certified professional to manage their recertification activities and store their documentation all in a centralized location.”
In addition, the Silver Spring, Md.–based company will have a calendar of industry educational offerings worldwide, including live meetings and webinars. It also plans to have news, trends, and research about industry education. A subscription costs $14.99 annually,
“This type of service portal is desperately needed in this industry that has put an emphasis and priority on increasing our value as meeting professionals,” said Michael Dominguez, CHSE, chair-elect Meeting Professionals International board of directors and senior vice president of corporate sales at MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas. “With the variety of certification programs available, an aggregator that manages global education and news as well as the storage of documentation, activities, and reminders for individuals certified through these programs is making the best use of technology to fit a need in the meetings industry.”
“Remembering professional development in which we've participated and for which we've earned continuing education units is tricky and often not remembered until it’s time to re-certify,” said Joan Eisenstodt, meetings and hospitality consultant, facilitator and trainer. “RecertTrack presents an option to help each of us and our professional associations make it easier.”