The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence is introducing a new certification for incentive travel professionals. Building on two previous certification programs, Certified Incentive Travel Executive, and Certified Incentive Specialist, the new designation is aimed at mid-career planners who may already be CMPs but want to highlight their specialized knowledge in the incentive travel industry.
The Certified Incentive Travel Professional will be awarded to planners who have a minimum of five years of industry experience on completion of a two-hour exam, and have taken at least 40 hours of continuing professional education, 25 percent of which was provided by SITE.
Exam topics will cover strategic and business benefits of incentive travel, finance and budgets, program design and delivery, operations, and sustainability. Unlike the previous designations, CITE and CIS, which were aimed at upper management/C-suite professionals and those starting out in the industry, this program is aimed at midlevel planners and supplier-side managers.
The SITE Foundation is offering certification candidates online courses on incentive travel on Motivate.
SITE will make arrangements for the exam to be taken at a company meeting or event; companies can also sponsor qualified employees to take it at industry events, or when it is offered at a local SITE chapter.
For candidates who meet the criteria and have completed the application form here, the exam will also be offered in Hall 9 at IMEX Frankfurt on Monday, May 14, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
There is an IMEX 50 percent off discounted fee for SITE members of $337.50, (regular $675) and for nonmembers, the $895 fee includes a one year SITE membership.
For more information on the certification program and the other SITE initiatives including a collaboration with Financial and Insurance Conference Professionals and the Incentive Research Foundation on a joint study: The Incentive Travel Industry Index powered by SITE Index, IRF Outlook and FICP, attend the press conference at IMEX on Tuesday, May 15 at 12:30 p.m. in Hall 8 with contributions from CEO Didier Scallet, CIS, who joined SITE in February after 18 years with Meeting Professionals International; SITE President Annamaria Ruffini, CIS, CMP, president and CEO, Events In & Out S.R.L.; and John J. Iannini, CIS, CTC, SITE Foundation president and vice president, Business Travel, Meetings & Events Americas, Melia Hotel International.
