Certification for event planners 'more important than ever'

Economic change has made certification for event planners more valuable than ever before, says MPI UK & Ireland chapter president, Miguel Neves.

Talking to C&IT at EMEC 2014 in Istanbul, MPI's Miguel Neves said: "Event certification is more important than it’s ever been before. The economy is slowly getting back to a good place, but people are questioning events. Is it worth having a meeting? Is it worth hiring a meeting planner to help with this meeting?

"More and more meeting planners are going to be held accountable for the meetings they organise. Their events need to meet objectives and, if they don’t, they will be held responsible.

"If an event planner wants to prove that they are worthwhile in their organisation, certification is a key step. Many people learn on the job and we know that is part of our industry, but I think a lot of people can benefit from it."

In the US, event planners on average get "up to $10,000 more pay when they are certified," continued Neves. "There are many companies that will promote the fact that all their staff are certified."

He added: "There are many chartered institutes that certify other industries and it’s important that the meetings and events industry has the same."

Promoting CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) education, which is run by the Convention Industry Council, is a key focus for MPI UK & Ireland in 2014.

Recent MPI research found that almost half (45%) of meeting planners expect budgets to rise in 2014 and only 3% of planners are using virtual and hybrid events to completely replace face-to-face meetings.

Reported by:  Citmagazine.com