DALLAS
In response to the fallout from current CMM holders over recent changes to the designation, MPI CEO and President Paul Van Deventer has issued an official statement and released a video message in order to temper the numerous concerns within the meeting planner community.
“As a result of our recent announcement with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) on the launch of our updated CMM Designation Program, we have received a great deal of feedback and interest from the meeting and event community – including media reviews, questions regarding the program and enrollment process for future classes, and input from current designees expressing both their support and concerns about the program’s evolution,” stated Van Deventer.
“We have great respect for the CMM designation and CMM Community, and we value feedback from our members as well as the broader community," Deventer continued. "To ensure we hear the voice of the broader community, we will be facilitating calls with CMM designees to discuss the updated program and to gather their input and feedback. As we have done in the past, if the input warrants it and results in a stronger CMM program, we will make appropriate adjustments to the program.”
In December 2013, MPI and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) announced that they joined forces to create the updated CMM Designation Program, which is an evolution of the Certificate in Meeting Management program. The new program provides the first and only collaborative designation for both meeting and travel professionals, and features an intensive business management study program led by highly esteemed university professors from renowned business schools.
But current CMM holders were not universally pleased with the changes, with many expressing concerns that included: Displeasure over the abolition of the Certificate in Meetings Management acronym, with CMM becoming a "standalone trademark"; reductions of the program residency to 3.5 days and the experiential requirement to five years; and the program’s expansion to include travel agents.
It was these stated concerns, among others, that prompted MPI’s official response to the situation.
New CMM Holder Announcement
MPI also announced that it recently presented the updated Certificate in Meeting Management to 47 meeting and event professionals around the world.
“The certificate and resulting designation recognize the strategic decision-making ability of industry leaders to manage and deliver exceptional meetings and events that drive organizational success,” stated MPI in its announcement on the new class of CMM holders, listed here:
- Jodi Adcock, CMM, CMP, Texas Instruments
- Elizabeth Devine Antonopoulos, CMM, Connecticut Education Association (CEA)
- Nicole Armstrong, CMM, CMP, Internet Society
- Debra A. Arneson, CMM, Metropolitan Denver Dental Society
- Melissa Atchley, CMM, Multiview
- Linda M. Bahr, CMM, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Erika Biddix, CMM, CMP, MAC Meetings & Events
- Carolyn Browning, CMM, CMP, MEETing Needs, LLC
- Mike Burke, CEM, CMM, CMP, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
- Kate Cheney, CMM, CMP, ConventionALL Management Inc.
- Mary Craig, CMM, Balboa Meeting & Event Solutions
- Laird Crandall, CMM, CMP, DMCP, DVIP Inc. Event Services
- Tawnya K. Curatola, CMM, CMP, Regional Learning Alliance
- Tina Debos, CFA, CMM, Women in Capital Markets
- Colleen Deckert, CMM, Investors Group
- Lina DiMatteo, CMM, CMP
- Melinda Eggenberger, CMM, Lex Mundi, Ltd.
- Hannah Olawunmi Faniran, CMM, CMP, MCI Middle East (L.L.C)
- Leon Fuchs, CMM, APG
- Lourdes Gonzalez Juarez, CMM, International Incentive Travel
- Mary Gordon, CMM, Institute of Medical Device Development (IMDD)
- Christine Gruber, CMM, CMP, Ontario Real Estate Association
- Kathleen Haase, CMM, CMP, Boston Scientific
- Vaughn Hardin, CMM, ConferenceDirect
- Julie Harrington, CMM, CMP, Ontario Stone Sand & Gravel Association
- Mark A. Harvey, CMM, Society of Government Meeting Professionals
- Teresa Harwood, CMM, Alcon Laboratories, Inc
- Hugo Hellberg, CMM, Colorado Association of Realtors
- Roxanne Hernandez, CMM, CMP, Herbalife International of America, Inc.
- Paulius Janciauskas, CMM, TheMiceCream
- Cheryl Lancaster, CMM, CMP, Toyota Motor Sales USA
- Audrey C. Langlois, CMM, CMP, Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc.
- Diane Langner, CMM, CMP, Pennsylvania Association of Realtors
- Jennifer McMahon-Hinz, CMM, CMP
- Kimberly O'Keefe, CMM, CMP, Land O'Lakes, Inc.
- Annette M. Ott-Barnett, CMM, CMP
- Karin Pearce, CMM, CMP, Cascadia Motivation
- Mark Plocki, CMM, Ariba, an SAP Company
- Vimari Roman, CMM, Be Productive Meetings & Events
- Jefferson Carlos dos Santos, CMM, Guia MKT
- Irene Saulsbery, CMM, New York State Association of Realtors
- Marianne Schmidhofer, CMM, Maritz Travel
- Kelly Sophy, CMM, CMP, Aesculap, Inc
- Stephanie Starr, CMM, CMP, namast(E)vents
- Kara Strittmatter, CMM, United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation
- Marc Viens, CMM, AXIS Medical Education, Inc.
- Marcia Williams, CMM, CMP, EVENTive Management
Check out these additional links for more information and discussion regarding MPI's CMM announcement:
