Emeritus CMPs

Sara R. Torrence, CMP
Gaithersburg, MD

How the CMP Designation Has Helped Me In My Professional Life;
Why it is Important to Recertify

I became a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) 20 years ago. When I attained the designation, I was one of fewer than 200 CMPs. Ever since, I have encouraged others to seek the designation; organized and led CMP Study Groups, led sessions on, “How to Lose Your Fear of the CMP” at both local and national conferences, staffed the CMP desk at industry events, and recertified every six years.

Why am I a CMP advocate? I became a meeting planner in 1969, before there were college courses for planners. My BA was in political science. I worked for a scientific and technical agency where degrees and certification were recognized as a symbol of knowledge. I loved my work, and looked to expand my horizons. I joined Meeting Professional International (MPI), the Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP)—a charter member, and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). I regularly attended local programs and national meetings.

When the CMP was being instituted, I immediately saw this as a way of “professionalizing” the industry- providing a designation for planners who had learned by doing, and who had already “professionalized” our craft. Also, I was asked to write a book, “How to Run Scientific and Technical Meetings,” for Van Nostrand Reinhold. The author surely had to have the CMP designation to validate her experience!

I attended one of the early Potomac Chapter of MPI, (PMPI) study groups and passed the exam on my first attempt. Convinced that the discipline of a study group had helped me focus and attain the designation, I began to plan study groups and speak on “Losing Your Fear.”

I did not seek the CMP because it would earn me a promotion. (I worked for the Federal government.) But immediately I began to recognize that others in the industry—hoteliers, other suppliers, and planners—respected my designation. When my book was published, I was proud to further expose the CMP to the meetings industry. When I attained two of the highest honors in my associations – PCMA’s 1999 Author of the Year and SCMP’s 2000 Planner of the Year- my work with CMP study groups was mentioned in the citations.

I have retired from the Federal Government, but have continued with CMP activities, as well as the APEX Initiative of the Convention Industry Council. I am a contributing editor for PCMA Convene and Meeting Mentor, and have written for other industry magazines. My CMP designation still validates my knowledge and experience after all these years. I have continued to recertify because I believe in the designation. I am proud that many leaders in our industry today- including national officers- were in my study groups, and continue to recertify. I think it is one of the strongest contributions I have made to the industry I love.