05/28/2020

Obtaining Your Certification in Meeting Management

by OSAE Member Adriane Cesa, CMM, CMP

For most of my career, I have been lucky enough to do what I love – develop and plan meetings. While I may not have always had the “right” title, the part I enjoyed most was crafting a program and seeing it enrich attendees. In my roles, I’ve built and managed volunteer engagement by actively working with memberships and boards, broadened my risk management skills by taking groups overseas for hands-on programs, and managed budgets for multiple programs all while decreasing costs and increasing revenue. While this doesn’t fully encapsulate all that I have achieved, it provides a strong snapshot of the skillset I have developed to date in my professional roles.

In August 2019, I decided I wanted to take the next step in my career and apply for the Certicate in Meeting Management (CMM) – to me this was the best next step because it brought together the opportunities to learn and grow my skillset in an academic setting and to interact and learn with peers from around the globe. And then… I was accepted!

Up next was a four-day in-person program with Indiana University professors and our cohort. Here we discussed leadership, communication styles, economics, budgets and sustainability, all while getting to know our peers. This was followed by 12 weeks of online coursework (including a zoom presentation!). Ourfinal task was a capstone paper. While this varies for everyone, mine was geared toward creating a guidebook to benefit MPIOH and MPIKBC for future MidAmerica Conferences.

Some might consider me an “expert” in our eld because of my experience and earning my CMP; however, I do not. This program has helped me expand and develop my leadership skills, particularly with managing up and across, further strengthened my communication and presentation skills, and assisted me in gaining new ideas in sustainable event design and industry evolution. The best part though has been getting to know my cohorts, hearing more about their experiences and learning from
them. In a short period of time we created strong bonds and lasting friendships which further cements that earning my CMM was the best next step in my career.

Thinking about applying? Here is what you need:

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of professional experience in the meeting and event industry
• 3+ years of management experience
• 2+ years of profit and loss responsibility

Required Documents

• Personal Statement: Personal statements should include responses to the following: 1) Describe your experience in meeting management. 2). Identify your gaps in the meeting management skillset. 3) How will earning the CMM designation help you in your career? 4) What challenge
  or opportunity do you currently have at work that participating in the CMM program could potentially help you solve or capitalize upon?
• Letter of Recommendation: Letters of recommendation should be written by a professional colleague or supervisor, appear on official company letterhead with a signature and clearly state the candidate’s suitability for the CMM program.
• Résumé: Résumés should be up to date and include professional work experience, with job titles and descriptions. It must clearly demonstrate that you meet program qualifications.

Learn more about the certification on MPI's website by selecting this link. 

^{About the author:
OSAE Member ~Adriane Cesa, CMM, CMP currently serves on the MPI Ohio Chapter Board of Directors as the Director of MidAmerica. She is a meeting and sourcing manager with American Express Global Business Travel.}