Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Program

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Emeritus CMPs

Edina Lessack, CMP
Chicago, IL

It seems hard to believe that ten years have passed since I first certified as a CMP. I started my company a little over 12 years ago and initially had no intention of applying. I thought it would take up too much of my time, and I certainly did not need the suffix for job security or advancement. After all, I was founder and president.

However, over the next couple of years, I began to appreciate the value of earning this distinguished title. Clients and colleagues viewed planners who were CMP’s as the experts in their field, and I wanted to be perceived the same way. When my husband earned his CAE designation in 1995, I decided that if he could do the studying and succeed, so could I.

I joined a study group and thus began some of the most valuable learning experiences I have ever had. Following each week’s session, I was able to immediately apply what I learned to whatever projects I was working on at the time. Of all the college courses and seminars I had ever attended, this had never happened and I was hooked. The exam was almost secondary (even though I was nervous wreck) because I was already making practical use of the knowledge I was gaining.

The day I learned I had passed the CMP exam was a highlight in my life, and I have grown professionally as a result of that designation ever since. In the past ten years, I have lectured for several industry related groups, most significantly Affordable Meetings. I also designed a general session for them, which was given in Chicago, Washington and Long Beach, and I was pleased to participate in each as well. I have written many articles which have appeared in Association Forum of Chicagoland Magazine, MPI-CAC News & Views and a few Business Weeklies, such as the local Business Ledger. In addition, I am often quoted by writers of various industry publications who contact me to comment on specific industry issues.

Of all the organizations to which I belong, I am most active in MPI and Association Forum of Chicagoland. Last year I chaired the education committee for my MPI chapter, and I have served on various other committees and task forces for both organizations. I counsel other planners on an informal basis and share my insights, particularly in the area of contract negotiations.

In 2003, I was awarded Planner of the Year by MPI-CAC and in 2005, Supplier/Partner of the Year by Association Forum of Chicagoland. I sincerely believe that earning my CMP designation was the catalyst for my professional growth engendering confidence in clients, vendors and colleagues. I have turned my company over to a talented young woman, also a CMP, and I am delighted to be considered for CMP Emeritus, a title which I shall always treasure.

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©2004 Convention Industry Council
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Emeritus CMPs

Edina Lessack, CMP
Chicago, IL

It seems hard to believe that ten years have passed since I first certified as a CMP. I started my company a little over 12 years ago and initially had no intention of applying. I thought it would take up too much of my time, and I certainly did not need the suffix for job security or advancement. After all, I was founder and president.

However, over the next couple of years, I began to appreciate the value of earning this distinguished title. Clients and colleagues viewed planners who were CMP’s as the experts in their field, and I wanted to be perceived the same way. When my husband earned his CAE designation in 1995, I decided that if he could do the studying and succeed, so could I.

I joined a study group and thus began some of the most valuable learning experiences I have ever had. Following each week’s session, I was able to immediately apply what I learned to whatever projects I was working on at the time. Of all the college courses and seminars I had ever attended, this had never happened and I was hooked. The exam was almost secondary (even though I was nervous wreck) because I was already making practical use of the knowledge I was gaining.

The day I learned I had passed the CMP exam was a highlight in my life, and I have grown professionally as a result of that designation ever since. In the past ten years, I have lectured for several industry related groups, most significantly Affordable Meetings. I also designed a general session for them, which was given in Chicago, Washington and Long Beach, and I was pleased to participate in each as well. I have written many articles which have appeared in Association Forum of Chicagoland Magazine, MPI-CAC News & Views and a few Business Weeklies, such as the local Business Ledger. In addition, I am often quoted by writers of various industry publications who contact me to comment on specific industry issues.

Of all the organizations to which I belong, I am most active in MPI and Association Forum of Chicagoland. Last year I chaired the education committee for my MPI chapter, and I have served on various other committees and task forces for both organizations. I counsel other planners on an informal basis and share my insights, particularly in the area of contract negotiations.

In 2003, I was awarded Planner of the Year by MPI-CAC and in 2005, Supplier/Partner of the Year by Association Forum of Chicagoland. I sincerely believe that earning my CMP designation was the catalyst for my professional growth engendering confidence in clients, vendors and colleagues. I have turned my company over to a talented young woman, also a CMP, and I am delighted to be considered for CMP Emeritus, a title which I shall always treasure.

(Back to all Emeritus CMPs)