Top 5 Ways to Get Your CMP Credits
The events industry is constantly evolving, which means that meeting professionals should too! As the event landscape continues to mature, it is essential for meeting planners to professionally excel and adapt to the latest trends to drive better meeting success. Getting CMP-certified can be a starting point.
Under the Events Industry Council’s (EIC) Preferred Provider Program, many organizations offer continuing education activities (in the form of live webinars, courses, or other resources) that have been pre-approved for CMP continuing education credits.
The Events Industry Council (EIC) created the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Program in 1985 “to enhance the knowledge and performance of meeting professionals, promote the status and credibility of the meeting profession and advance uniform standards of practice.” More than 11,000 meeting professionals hold the CMP designation. The CMP credential is recognized globally, both MPI Potomac Chapter and EVA are Preferred CMP Providers. A Meeting Professional seeking the CMP designation must have 36 months of employment in the meetings industry, as well as 25 clock hours of continuing education before they can submit an application to EIC. The candidate’s materials must be reviewed and approved before scheduling and taking the CMP exam.
Here are the top 5 ways to get your CMP credits – for free and/or online:
#1: EVA – Events Management Platform Free Live and On-Demand Webinars
EVA hosts insightful live webinars every month with topics discussing how to make the most out of your event technology to plan successful in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. You can easily earn CMP credits by attending the webinars live or accessing them on-demand. EVA is approved by the EIC to be a CMP Preferred Provider.
American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) also approved EVA to be a Certified Association Executive (CAE) Provider.
Sample Session Titles
This hyper-focused session is going to peel back the mystery surrounding the massive data opportunity for virtual events. EVA CEO, Vinnu Deshetty is going to clue us in on the key features and experiences that drive audience engagement and what data you should be paying attention to.
Planning a hybrid event can be cost-efficient, easy to implement, and engaging for both in-person and virtual attendees. This session will provide an overview of hybrid event planning, including tips on how to create an effective agenda, manage logistics, and promote your event. You will also have the opportunity to hear about the panel’s personal hybrid event planning experiences.
Cost: Free
Check out all the on-demand webinars here.
#2: MPI-Potomac On-Demand Content Library powered by EVA
Learn from the best in the meetings industry while earning your CMP credits through MPI Potomac. MPI Potomac recently launched the On-Demand Content Library, which offers a pack of CMP-approved online learning sessions available on-demand, tailored for meeting planners.
This site requires creating an account and purchasing individual courses.
Learning Format: Recorded Webinars
Sample Session Titles
“Dawn Rasmussen, a certified résumé writer, is the president of Portland, Oregon-based Pathfinder Writing and Career Services and author of “Forget Job Security: Build Your Marketability” which is the first-ever book that provides a complete roadmap on how to manage your career.”
In this session, we will provide you with tips and strategies to brand yourself, engage your target audience, and ultimately keep your brand, whether it be yourself, your event, or your organization, top-of-mind.
Cost: Ranges from $30 – $40
View all the courses here.
About MPI Potomac
Since its founding in 1978, our chapter continues to build a rich community in the Maryland, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia areas providing members in the meeting and event industry with innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities, and business exchanges.
When you join MPI Potomac, you become part of an organization dedicated to your personal development and professional success. Our education programs will inspire insights and provide lessons to strengthen your skills. At our signature networking events, you’ll connect with passionate, like-minded people and develop genuine relationships with those in your area. The chapter thrives on your engagement and our goal is to empower you to stay on the edge of what’s happening in our industry. We act as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. As a member of MPI Potomac, everyone is welcome.
MPI Potomac is an inclusive community of meeting professionals who embrace learning, collaboration and your development.
Read more about MPI Potomac’s Collaboration with EVA to use technology to promote learning for meeting professionals.
#3: PCMA Convene CMP Series
Earn credits by reading articles! The PCMA Convene CMP Series is known for its high-quality content. It offers a monthly series of must-read articles organized around CMP knowledge areas. The Convene series enables readers to simply go through the informative articles, take an online test, and earn CMP credits on the go.
This site will require creating a free account to access the Convene Articles.
Learning Format: Digital Articles
Sample Session Titles
In the wake of the pandemic’s disruptions, convention centers are going all in on human-centered needs — plus broadcast capabilities, nature, and outdoor spaces — to bring back groups.
Amid continuing uncertainty around planning events during COVID’s wild ride, we turned to professional futurists to help put us on the path to envisioning business events going forward. Here’s a shorthand guide to thinking like a futurist.
Cost: Free
View all the courses here.
About PCMA Convene Series
Known for its high-quality content, Convene offers a monthly series of must-read articles organized around CMP knowledge areas that, along with an online test and essay, enables readers to easily earn CEs.
You will need a PCMA account to access the Convene CMP Series. Click here to create a free account.
#4: Northstar Meetings Group Webinars
Northstar Meetings Group offers webinars that cover a variety of topics essential to today’s event professionals – from the latest meeting management strategies to virtual event planning platforms and more. You can attend the live webinars and easily earn CMP credits.
There is a free registration requirement when selecting each course.
Learning Format
- Live Webinars
- On-Demand Webinars
Sample Session Titles
Beyond the addition of comprehensive health and safety standards, the format of effective live gatherings has shifted, whether to engage attendees better, connect with both remote viewers and on-site participants, or offer more memorable in-person experiences that will make attendees’ travel more worthwhile. This session explores these trends and ways to innovate going forward. Our panel of experts provides actionable best practices and takes audience questions throughout.
Experts discuss the latest factors affecting the choice of destinations and venues.
Cost: Free
Explore all the webinars here.
About Northstar Meetings Group
Northstar Meetings Group offers a host of meetings industry webinars that cover a variety of topics essential to today’s event professionals. From the latest meeting management strategies and trending event technology to virtual event planning platforms and the future of travel, experts weigh in on trending topics and talk about the agenda items that will impact your next event. Each NMG webinar can be attended live or accessed digitally, on-demand and helps meeting professionals earn CMP certification credits.
#5: OMNIPEAR
“Our team of CMPs developed engaging & relevant materials based on lessons learned including our own exam failures. Just in case, you don’t pass on your first attempt, you can access this course complimentary. We save your time and money – by including your entire learning and prep work in the course, meeting the minimum examination requirements of 25 CEUs. All materials are super-relevant to CMP IS domains.”
Each link will take you to the landing page and will require a flat fee to view all of the courses and earn all of the CMP credits required to take the exam.
Learning Format: On-Demand Webinars
Sample Session Titles
This course will cover Developing a Sustainability Plan & Business Continuity. In addition, you will receive CMP Flashcards to reference during this course.
This course will include reviewing the Event Specifications Guide and Request for Proposal Templates.
Cost: $295 (discounted – full price: $595)
Click here to learn more.
