FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 6, 2007
CONTACT: Tom Rigsby, Director of Marketing and Communications
Convention Industry Council
(202) 429-8634
trigsby@conventionindustry.org

DISNEY HOSTS 2007 CMP CONCLAVE

Washington, DC – September 6, 2007 – With over 260 attendees and special guests Mickey Mouse and Captain Jack Sparrow, the 2007 Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Conclave held on July 22-24 at the Walt Disney World's Yacht and Beach Club Resort was an immense success. This CMP-exclusive program, hosted by the Convention Industry Council (CIC), combined exceptional professional, educational, and social activities over the course of the three days. Thanks to generous sponsors, networking opportunities were available throughout Conclave, giving attendees many occasions to interact with fellow CMPs from around the world.

As the foremost certification program of the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry, the CMP designation recognizes those who have achieved the industry's highest standard of professionalism. CIC relies on Conclave to provide a forum for tapping the expertise of subject matter experts – current Certified Meeting Professionals – and parlaying their real-world work experiences into exam content.

“One of the hallmarks of a professional certification program is that the examination reflects what professionals do on the job – the knowledge and skills that are essential to successful and competent job performance,” stated Linda Waters of Prometric, the official CMP testing agency.

In addition to exam development, CMPs attended educational sessions on the theme of “Educating Your Cast for Tomorrow”, with topics such as greening initiatives, industry best practices, and professional development. The outstanding set of speakers included Cindy Novotny of Master Connection Associates; Scott Ginsberg of Hello My Name is Scott; Rich Hunter, CIC APEX Director; Tyra Hillard, Esq., CMP, educator and consultant; and Nancy Wilson, CMP of Meeting Strategies Worldwide.

The 2007 CMP Report was also released at this year's Conclave. This report analyzed the last two CMP application periods and tracked trends in the world of meeting professionals. The report is now available on the CIC website at www.conventionindustry.org.

Anne Hamilton, Walt Disney World Resort Vice President of Resort Sales & Services, affirmed Disney's support of the CMP program at the Conclave. “Disney places enormous value in the CMP designation, knowing it brings added credibility for our clients and our Company,” said Hamilton. “Walt Disney World Resort currently has 34 CMPs on our sales and services team, and we actively encourage others on the team to pursue the certification. In fact, a Convention Services Manager cannot be considered for a Senior Manager position until he or she earns the CMP certification.”

The Convention Industry Council’s 32 member organizations represent more than 103,500 individuals as well as over 17,300 firms and properties involved in the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry. Over 12,167 individuals in 35 countries have earned the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation, which recognizes the industry's highest standard of professionalism. In addition to CMP, other CIC programs include the Hall of Leaders initiative, the Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) initiative, Project Attrition, and the CIC Economic Impact Study. For more information, visit the CIC website at www.conventionindustry.org.

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