Celebrating its 25^th anniversary, EIBTM is lining up 3 days of education and networking for this year’s Association Programme with highlights that include the return of the Great Association Debate and a keynote about the importance and value of certification to members and the industry.  All of this year’s education is once again CMP accredited (www.eibtm.com).

Cedric Calhoun FASAE, CAE is Executive Director of the Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals, Inc. (AHMP), an association with 3,400 members globally which organises upwards of 10 events annually. He is also CEO & Founder of RecertTrack.

Calhoun will deliver the keynote exploring and questioning why it is not a requirement that a meeting planner have an industry certification in order to “practice” as a meeting planner, similar to the requirements for doctors and lawyers to practice in their respective professions.  He will tackle the delicate issue of how problems arise when certification programs are created as solely revenue drivers, and why there is a gap in importance and relevance that he believes should be bridged in order for the industry and others to succeed.

With certification becoming more recognised globally, associations are making the creation or enhancement of certification programmes a strategic objective of their organisations. Calhoun will also explore the ways in which certification can be used as a key support mechanism, for the continually evolving association business model and the ways in which it can be used to provide more value for its members.

Calhoun, based in Washington DC, has been involved with ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership since he entered the field of association management in 1995 and has served as the Chair of the Marketing Section Council in 2005 and 2006 and as the Chair of the ASAE CEO Advisory Board in 2011-12. He has spoken extensively and served as a content leader for ASAE & The Center at their Marketing & Membership Conferences as well as the Annual Meeting and Exposition.

The ‘Importance and Value of Certification to Members and Industry’ session will take place on Tuesday 27^th November at 2pm in the conference centre room 4.1.

The Great Association Debate returns on Wednesday 28^th November at 9:30am in the conference centre room 4.1. The content for the debate will be entirely driven by the Association Programme delegates, covering key issues which have arisen as a result of the preceding sessions.

Erica Keogan, Education Content Manager of IBTM Event Portfolio, Reed Travel Exhibitions comments: “Making sure that EIBTM’s Association Programme remains the leading annual event for Association Meetings Planners and Association Management Companies is vital. Each year we continually seek to secure the attendance of some of the most influential figures in the industry, to ensure that all of our Hosted Buyers attending the Association Programme leave feeling informed and more importantly inspired.  I think this year we have not only a keynote that will give attendees food for thought that might influence the content of the Great Association Debate, but the whole issue surrounding certification and re-certification is now a hot topic.”

The EIBTM Association Programme will equip attendees with relevant tools, knowledge and insight, enabling individuals to create more effective and profitable events for their associations. Interwoven throughout the sessions, key themes will be addressed, including advice on how to implement new strategies for associations, extending the reach of events and how certification can help drive associations.

Source: EIBTM