GBTA and MPI Launch New CMM Designation Program

Collaboration Delivers Robust Business Education for Meeting and Travel Professionals

DALLAS and ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) announced today that they have joined forces to create the new CMM Designation Program, the business standard of excellence for meeting and travel professionals. The program, which is the first and only collaborative designation for meeting and travel professionals, features an intensive business management study program led by highly esteemed university professors from renowned business schools.

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Together, GBTA and MPI designed the CMM Designation Program to help meeting and travel professionals strengthen their business acumen and advance their careers. Participants will learn critical business skills such as risk mitigation, business analytics and compliance, strategic negotiation and more. The program is an evolution of the prestigious Certificate in Meeting Management program created by MPI in the mid-1990s and pays homage to the highly regarded CMM designation.

"We are pleased to offer the new CMM Designation Program in partnership with GBTA to meeting and travel professionals around the world," said Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI. "Over the past year, MPI has been transforming in order to better serve our members and part of this transformation involved taking the Certificate in Meeting Management program to the next level. CMM has been a revered designation within the meeting and event industry for some time, and we believe the value CMM has established will translate well within the travel industry and as a standalone trademark."

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 leading global business management education program for the meeting and travel industries.

"GBTA is pleased to join forces with MPI to offer this new program that will quickly become the business standard of excellence for both meeting and travel professionals," said Michael W. McCormick, executive director and COO of GBTA. "The new CMM Designation Program with MPI will offer our collective members the opportunity to learn new skills and grow their careers."

Path to Designation

To achieve the new designation, participants must complete three distinct phases. Phase 1 includes 3.5 days of rigorous onsite business education sessions administered by university professors. It also 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 boot camps 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.

While continuing education credits are not required to maintain the designation, existing and new CMM holders are encouraged to attend CMM conclaves hosted by both GBTA and MPI annually starting in 2014. At the conclaves, new CMM holders join the outstanding community of CMM leaders to refresh their business skills, network and become part of the CMM legacy.

With the launch of this new program, all current CMM designations will continue to be supported by MPI and now by GBTA as well. As such, professionals that achieved the former Certificate in Meeting Management designation will retain the CMM designation.

"Our combined vision was to evolve CMM to mean more than a certificate for meeting professionals, so it is no longer defined as an acronym. CMM is now a designation for distinguished meeting and travel professionals with business excellence," explains Van Deventer.   

GBTA and MPI will publish detailed program information and the full schedule of offerings in January 2014. In the meantime, visit www.mpiweb.org/CMM to learn more or to register interest.

About GBTA

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world's premier business travel and meetings organization. Collectively, GBTA's 6,000-plus members manage over $340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA provides its network of 21,000 business and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers, with networking events, news, education & professional development, research, and advocacy. For more information, visit gbta.org.

About MPI

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest and most vibrant global meeting and event industry association. The organization helps its members thrive by building human connections through knowledge and ideas, relationships, and marketplaces. MPI membership is comprised of approximately 20,000 members belonging to 71 chapters and clubs worldwide. For additional information or to join, visit www.mpiweb.org.

SOURCE Global Business Travel Association