Article

Industry Certifications: Experts Discuss Why To Get Certified

There are many different certifications available and several designations that correspond to different niches within the events Industry. In our recent webinar: Why Get Certified, we spoke with Elizabeth Nutting, CSEP, Production Canada, Past President ILEA Toronto and Joanne Rockwood, CMP, CMM, Conference Manager, University of British Colombia, President of PCMA West, to help you understand what options are available and why they might be right for you.

Here are highlights from the webinar on 5 of the most popular industry certifications.

CMP: Certified Meeting Professional

What interested you about the CMP?

Joanne: “I had heard a lot about the CMP within the industry, as well as through MPI, who promoted and advocated for the designation. I was looking to validate myself as an event professional and elevate my qualifications. For me, I was doing a lot right, but there was so much more to the industry I didn’t know and had yet to explore.”

What is the process?

You need to have been in the industry for at least 5-7 years as a pre-requisite. Study the material, and then take an exam comprised of 165 questions.

The CMP certification is not only for planners, a variety of people in the industry come together to learn and certify themselves in a wholesome industry standard and a strong understanding of the meetings landscape.

CMP is an internationally recognized program, however, the curriculum is mainly US-centric.

The CMP designation brought Joanne a unique learning opportunity to make her a bigger planner, and support her with technical knowledge to plans and executes events.

CMP Re-certification

Recertification occurs every 5 years, you need to have worked for 36 months in the events industry. As well as have 25 education clock hours which can include certified EIC clocked hours or other educational content that meets the requirements of the model. Some associations log and track that for you such as PCMA to make the process easier.

CSEP – Certified Special Events Planner

The Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) designation recognizes event professionals who have successfully demonstrated the knowledge, skills and ability essential to perform all components of a special event.

What interested you about CSEP?

Liz:I was a member of ILEA and was looking to immerse myself in the industry and elevate my qualifications.

What is the process?

CSEP is experience based, you need at least 3 years’ experience in the industry.

CSEP is an internationally recognized program with international designation reach.

What value has it given you?

Elizabeth: I would say it has given me a level of respect and opened opportunities for partnerships and connections in the industry. It also gives me a feeling of pride when I am on-site.

CSEP Re-Certification

Recertification occurs every 5 years. It is mainly centered on validating that you are participating in the industry, which includes speaking at conferences, participating in associations, and contributing to the development of the events industry.

DES – Digital Event Strategist

The digital event institute offers this designation, it is specifically for virtual events and those who create and work within that environment. It focuses on events such as webinars, webcasting, video conferences and these types of events, as they have become more prominent in the last few years. DES helps to create a consistent understanding of the world that surrounds digital events.

What is the process?

The process for obtaining a DES is largely online because it is a digital event designation, and learning digitally is within the same realm.

DES Re-Certification:

You need to hold 20 hrs of continuing education so you are up to date.

The value DES offers is that it helps demonstrate to associations that you are up to date and knowledgeable about the digital event spectrum, as well as organizations that stream their events online.

CMM: Certificate in Meeting Management

The CMM is not a certification designation, it is a certificate. There is no re-certification process, once you complete the certificate you become a CMM.

The content is centered on high-level concepts of event management and leadership such as, why you do an event, what’s your strategy, profit and loss reporting, and more event business topics.

What’s the CMM Process?

You are required to have 7 years’ experience, with 3 of those years spent in a management role, and 2 years spent with a P&L (Profit and Loss) responsibility.

All classwork includes leadership development and financing.

There is an essay exam that you complete and is sent back to determine if you move forward in the process. It takes months to complete and obtain the CMM certificate.

EDC: Event Design Certification

EDC is a certification that is based on event canvas and endorsed by MPI. The EDC centers on design and creating end to end experiences for your attendees through every stage of your event. It helps you understand and become more strategic in the elements you design within your events.

What is the EDC process?

You complete an application and if you are eligible you attend an onsite learning certification within a classroom environment.

The EDC is open to anyone of any role and skill level. It occurs 3 times a year in various locations.

What recommendations or advice would you have for someone considering certification?

Joanne and Elizabeth: Invest in yourself, invest in your career. Seek out council and which option to go with. Research the requirements and process, and go with the certification you believe would suit you best.

hat could include just one or all that we talked about today.

Study Tips for the process:

Experience is your greatest asset. If you go through the experience of these events you are exposed to opportunities and environments. Connect with other professionals within a discussion forum. You can also use Quizlet App to help you study on the go. There are always going to be some things you need to memorize, but most of the critical thinking is more experiential. The more time you spend in the industry, the more you learn, which in turn helps you prepare.

Here is a snapshot of the certifications:

If you are unsure if you qualify, or how your situation works in the process, you can reach out to the organization that offers the designation to confirm if you in-fact qualify.

Overall, becoming certified delivers great value. You build a large rich network simply from the process of designating yourself that you can call upon, and you are well respected by your peers and clients in the industry.

Click Here to watch the webinar replay now.

Read the blog post here.

Visit our FMAV Blog for more!

Article

How To Decide Which AV Partner Is Right For You

You have an event coming up that requires AV, you’ve done some research and narrowed it down to a short list of AV partners. Now you are left with comparing which one is best for you and your event. Here are some things to consider when trying to decide which AV partner to work with.

Level of expertise

Do they know how to do what you need them to? If so, how well?

What is their level of experience in delivering the type of event you are executing? For example, if you are having an outdoor Gala dinner, you want to know that the partner you elect has experience working in that type of environment.

Asking for relevant references or similar examples of work can help you glean ideas and understand the scope of services they are able to deliver.

Pricing

Pricing is always a factor as budgets are lean and we are always trying to do more for less, but consider the price if something goes wrong.

A recent study from Qualtrics on Customer Experience stated 86% of buyers will pay more for a better brand experience. How much is the overall experience worth; the pre-planning experience of working with them, as well as the experience you deliver to your attendees and stakeholders. You are already spending money on other aspects of the event, the last thing you want is to sacrifice those dollars if your audience cannot hear your presenters.

There are other factors to consider when it comes to pricing. If you think of total investment versus dollars it may impact your view. An investment could mean time spent such as what else is required, is there more value to a dollar for one company vs. another. As many of us know, pricing can be related to quality. Quality delivery, quality product, and quality service. At the end of the day, you are trying to deliver the highest value to your stakeholders, it would be logical to use an AV partner that can deliver the highest value for your investment.

The Team

Who are you working with, and who is your main point of contact? What expertise does the team have? What are their passions and what commitment do they bring to your event?

Anyone can provide the gear, but it’s the people who make an event great. You want to know that the team supporting your event is invested into the success as much as you are.

When it comes to any project or event planning, strong communication is imperative. How responsive are the AV partners? Do they make you feel comfortable that everything has been accounted for? Planner you rely on your partners for their expertise and support, you want a team that can support every technical aspect.

Having a deep discussion early in the planning process can support a more confident decision simply because you have had more discussions with that partner and they understand more about you, which results in a better and more collaborative relationship.

Decision Chart

Before making a final decision here are some questions to ask yourself. You can also try ranking each question on a scale from 1-3 noted below and totalling the final score.

3 = Strong Yes.

2 = Somewhat

1 = No.

Making a decision on which AV partner to work with is not always easy, each partner often has their own features and benefits. If you can decide what is most important for you when working with someone, you can decipher which partner is best to suit your needs.

If you have an event coming up and are in the process of looking for an AV partner connect with us now to discuss more.

Read the blog post here.

Visit our FMAV Blog for more!

Article

3 Ways To Keep Your Virtual Audience Engaged

Webcasting your event is a great way to connect with attendees that are unable to physically participate due to travel or budget circumstances. Virtual events allow you to connect and deliver your content on a large scale to an unlimited amount of participants.

But as with all events, strategic planning is what differentiates an event- from a successful impactful event. Virtual attendees can become distracted or even interrupted by other activities during your event broadcast. So, how do you keep their attention on your webcast and make them feel like part of the event? Here are three ideas to consider.

What if you could support and promote your events brand and or sponsor branding with a backdrop that represents your theme.

There are innovative design and décor solutions that can accomplish just that called Scenic Tiles.

1. Send Emails During Sessions

Your virtual participants likely have their email open and running in the background. You can bring the attention back to your webcast and communicate other messaging simply by deploying emails at specific times during the webcast.

To do this successfully you will have to plan tactfully. You don’t want to send an email to someone who signed up but never logged into the broadcast.

Keep it short, around 50 words. You can include a quick link to a deck or discussed information. If the speaker drops a reference to a video, or case study, include the link in the email. Use the email to reiterate power statements, or emphasize takeaways. You can also use email communication to build up to a call to action – that is, what do you want your viewers to do?

Work with your events team, AV Partner and marketing to get creative in segmenting the journey and ramping up your viewer to little by little, lead up to something big!

2. Keep The Presentations Fresh

When you are sitting at a conference you really have nowhere to go until the end of the session, but a remote audience can break attention easily. If you keep presented content short, dynamic and constantly changing both audience groups will stay engaged.

Instead of having a panel discussion, consider short 5-20 minute spotlights on singular topics. When a new speaker takes the stage, the audience attention span resets; the virtual and physical audience is wondering what the new presenter will bring.

3. Encourage Virtual Attendees To Participate On Social Channels And Share Ideas.

Today, most events have their own hashtags where attendees can post pictures, thoughts, quotes, and ideas in one trail. While your virtual audience may not be able to take a photo of the stage they can still contribute and keep the dialogue going. You might even go as far as encouraging your remote attendees to post a picture of their viewing stage – where they are watching the broadcast from. This can provide you with insights; your remote attendees feel involved, and you build an event community on a large scale.

Webcasting your event is a great step in the right direction of expanding the reach for your event, but it is only the first step. The next step is brainstorming ideas on how to maximize the opportunity and value for those remote attendees. When organizing your event, begin by defining what experience you want your virtual attendees to have and what experience you want you’re in person attendees to have. Once you do that you can put together communications and content that holds participant attention and delivers great impacts.

If you are thinking about virtual events, or have one coming up connect with us now to discuss more.

Read the blog post here.

Visit our FMAV Blog for more!

Article

Download the PDF>

To learn more about Waterloo Region and hosting an event here, visit www.explorewaterlooregion.com/meetings

Article

Download the PDF>

Article

Facilities at a Glance

Download the interactive PDF>>

Conference

Bingemans
Lot42

Hotels

Crowne Plaza
Delta Waterloo
Inn of Waterloo
Homewood Suites Cambridge
Homewood Suites St. Jacobs
Langdon Hall
The Walper Hotel

More info >

Article

Tap into Themed Events

Article

Unique to Waterloo

Download the interactive PDF>>

Meet Waterloo Region:

Location
Located one hour west of Toronto, an easy access point
from Toronto Pearson International Airport & Highway 401

Transportation
VIA Rail & Go Transit service from Toronto’s Union Station
Region of Waterloo International Airport offers daily flights
to Calgary & Fly GTA commuter flights from Billy Bishop
Airport.

Accommodations
2,700 guest rooms
Major brand hotels, historic boutiques and Relais &
Châteaux

Largest Meeting Space
44,000 square feet
5,000 person capacity reception style

Largest Hotel Ballroom
Largest Hotel Ballroom 6,900 square feet
600 person capacity gala style

Outdoor Space
25,000 person capacity on 25 acres for a festival style event

Unique Venues
A mix of renovated heritage buildings and luxurious purpose-
built venues to showcase your themed event

Article

Conference and Event Hotels

Whistler’s intimate, cosmopolitan Village offers convenience and an abundant variety to suit a range of budgets. Your delegates can easily transition from meetings to dining, shopping and activities – all located within short walking distance.

Tourism Whistler works with all of our fine hotels to match your needs with the right property. We help you source and secure guest rooms and meeting space ideal for your group.

The following chart provides details on some of our select convention and meeting hotels.

Download PDF here >>

Article

Recommending a Destination Management Company

It’s all about the details. Every little detail.

And most importantly it’s about getting it right, just right. Meet the local experts who offer planners a virtual extension of home office in the heart of Whistler. Our destination management companies (DMC) take pride in dotting every “i” and crossing every “t”. They can weigh in as much or as little as you need, it’s up to you. But we’d encourage you to partner with the experts who drive creative, are reputed for savvy procurement and deliver technical production without a hitch.

Marketing Your Meeting

Promotional Materials
We will give you the animation you need to get everyone buzzing about meeting in Whistler. The images, promotional materials, intimate knowledge to customize your message, whatever it takes. Drive excitement, boost attendance, showcase the village or highlight a mountain playground, whatever your focus we’ve got your back. Download images and video from Tourism Whistler’s comprehensive selection of high-resolution stock images and video.

Media Releases
View Whistler Meetings media releases for inspiration, information and ideas to share with your delegates.

Create Your Own Microsite
Minimize the logistics of coordinating your groups book on own activities, hotels and transportation thanks to the dedicated team at Tourism Whistler. We will happily create a personalized webpage for your delegates to use as their one-stop-shop for everything in Whistler. You can customize the site to fit your groups individual needs, add or remove options and include as little or as much information as you see fit.

Social Media Support
Follow us on Twitter at the handle @MeetWhistler

We’ve created 5 pre-written tweets for you to help your delegates and attendees get familiar with Whistler before their trip.

1. Watch Rethink the Meet in Whistler to get inspired now: http://ow.ly/Ec4e30kNYPP #meetwhistler
2. [conference handle] just signed with [the Whistler Conference Centre] or [Whistler Hotel] for our [year] Conference, we know our attendees will love it as much as we do! #meetwhistler
3. American visitors, favourable U.S. currency exchange rates of approximately 30% will make your dollar go further during [conference handle] in Canada: http://ow.ly/suy330kNZak
4. Have you started packing for [conference handle] in Whistler and are wondering that to bring? Take a look at Whistler’s historical weather records: http://ow.ly/dmMy30kdCma”
5. Do you plan on shopping during [conference handle] in Whistler? You’re in luck! Whistler is a shopper’s paradise, offering something to suit every taste: http://ow.ly/80qJ30kNZfB

Whistler Ambassador Club

Pursue your passions and you’ll naturally find a connection to something much deeper.
Becoming an Ambassador by promoting a convention in Whistler is a rewarding adventure. Our mountain destination needs your talent, motivation and contacts to keep moving forward.

Whistler is Canada’s favourite year-round destination. We have successfully welcomed the world and are seeking to merge our supporters with the resort’s unique offerings. The Whistler Ambassador Club is a noteworthy group of professionals who are trailblazers in their fields. This network includes some of the brightest minds who all share the common goal of showcasing Whistler as a place of innovation, excellence and opportunity.

Tourism Whistler partners with leaders to bring meetings to Whistler. We promote ingenuity and connection, leaving a legacy of social and economic benefits. This group is from various specialized backgrounds including academia, life science, leading-edge technologies, natural resources and commerce.

With the support of our team and partners, you’ll see how easy and rewarding it can be to promote and execute a world-class meeting or convention.

We welcome you to participate in the following ways:

• Facilitate introductions to other thought leaders in your area of expertise
• Be a catalyst and chair an event in partnership with Whistler with your organization
• Introduce the Whistler Ambassador Club to others who are seeking to attract business events to Whistler
• Identify potential meetings and events in your field that could be hosted in the resort