THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.
A decision by MPI to make significant changes to its CMM, or Certificate in Meeting Management, program—including opening up eligibility to travel agents--received a chilly reception from current CMM designees in a recent conference call held by the association.
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and MPI announced late last year they would joined forces to create a new CMM Designation Program. The new program is an evolution of the Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM) program created by MPI in the mid-1990s.
The development of the new CMM Designation Program originated when GBTA and MPI formed a limited liability company (LLC) and developed an executive steering committee tasked with creating the global business management education program for the meeting and travel industries.
To achieve the new designation, participants must complete three phases. Phase 1 includes 3.5 days of on-site business education sessions administered by university professors and requires participation in two self-led webinars. During phase 2 of the program, participants must attend a one-day boot camp at which they will partake in either meeting or travel-focused sessions taught by industry-leading subject matter experts. The bootcamps will initially be offered annually during both GBTA and MPI conventions. The third phase involves the development of an independent work-based project.
Thereafter, program participants are granted the CMM designation.
However, the move was not happily received by many in the planning community, according to Ann Rebentisch, CMP, CMM, who organized a recent conference call with 51 current CMMs from three different countries.
Rebentisch, who heads a LinkedIn group composed of more than 400 CMMs, reports that 15 concerns raised during the call were submitted to MPI the next day.
Among the chief concerns, she says, are the following:
• That the proposed changes would dilute the caliber of the credential
• That those who currently hold the credential were not consulted in advance
• The abolition of the Certificate in Meetings Management acronym--instead “CMM” would be a “standalone trademark”
• Reduction of experiential requirement to qualify for CMM program from 10 to five years
• That the new program would welcome travel agents
MPI responded by hosting a conference call for concerned CMM’s on Wednesday, 22 January and 56 attended. The same concerns were raised again. MPI said the rollout of the new CMM program was scheduled for February 2014 and that it would consider the feedback before doing so.
