Plan Your Meetings

Hospitality Certifications

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Have you ever seen letters behind hospitality professionals’ names and wondered what that is all about?  Well, there are at least 18 nationally recognized certifications for the hospitality industry. The CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) is the most widely recognized certification. Some certifications are specific to a profession, such as sales or catering, or a service category, such as exhibition.  From the list below, determine which certification is the best fit for you; related Web site links are provided in case you need more information.

• CAE: Certified Association Executive
• CDME: Certified Destination Marketing Executive
• CEM: Certified Exhibition Manager
• CGMP: Certified Government Meeting Professional
• CHA: Certified Hotel Administrator
• CHE: Certified Hospitality Educator
• CHME: Certified Hospitality Marketing Executive
• CHSP: Certified Hospitality Sales Professional
• CITE: Certified Incentive Travel Executive
• CME: Certified Manager of Exhibits
• CMM: Global Certification in Meeting Management
• CMP: Certified Meeting Professional 
• CPCE: Certified Professional Catering Executive
• CSEE: Certified Sports Event Executive
• CSEP: Certified Special Event Professional
• CSP: Certified Speaking Professional
• DMCP: Destination Management Certified Professional
• PDM: Professional in Destination

    – Jackie Thornton, M.S., CMP

Jackie Thornton, M.S., CMP, is president of Global Marketing and PR Inc., which offers event planning, marketing and public relations services.   She also has taught event planning certificate courses.