According to many economic assessments, including this one, the financial impact of COVID-19 is being felt in the travel and hospitality industries first. Unfortunately for meeting planners, this means that some are facing a period of intense scrambling to postpone an event or move it online; for others, it means a period of un- or underemployment.
Hopefully, the disruption will be over soon. But until then, many planners can use this period to boost their skills using some of the online education available to them.
According to the Events Industry Council, Certified Meeting Professional designees make, on average, $10,000 a year more than non-certified professionals, so an investment of time now can pay off later.
MeetingsNet has a host of free webinars that offer clock hours toward a CMP, incl uding live webinars in the next couple of weeks addressing some very relevant current issues. The next one, “The Trouble Trifecta: Attrition, Cancellation, and Force Majeure,” takes place on March 24 at 2 p.m. ET and will be available on demand shortly after.
MPI Academy has a host of certification courses on topics ranging from Women in Leadership to Emergency Preparedness for Events, as well as CMP courses.
The EIC's CMP page details requirements and courses for certification and also for a CMP-Health Care.
Already got your CMP? Here are a couple of other certifications to pursue:
Certified Special Events Professional, find information here: International Live Events Association
Certified Government Meeting Professional, find information here: Society of Government Meeting Professionals
At this moment, perhaps the most useful certification to look into is Digital Event Strategist. Check out the Professional Convention Management Association’s Digital Experience Institute for more information.
