MPI Rocks! Join us on Nov 18
posted by Brent Taylor on October 25, 2009
I am thrilled to be the current President of the Greater Edmonton Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI). This year's Board of Directors is just fantastic to work with and have been busy building a great chapter. MPI is such a worthy organization to belong to and invest one's time in. As the meeting and event industry's largest global organization with over 24,000 members, the opportunities for networking, education and business promotion are amazing. Our chapter currently has over 65 members and is growing. If you have never been involved and would like to be a part of our family of local industry professionals, please come out to our luncheon on November 18. We have international speaker Sue Hershkowitz-Coore flying in from Scottsdale, Arizona to teach us on "Communicating when Strangling isn't an Option." I have attended international conferences where her sessions have standing room only. Count yourself in and register at http://bit.ly/2zTfI3. I welcome the opportunity to meet you!

Is Your Planner Qualified?
posted by Brent Taylor on October 25, 2009
This past week we were discussing in our office how the recession has affected our industry. It seems to have compounded an already growing frustration for highly-qualified and established businesses such as ours. We are finding a growing willingness by organizations to utilize the services of inexpensive and unqualified planners. Connecting regularly with planners from around the world, I have found we all find humour in the fact that everyone thinks they are a planner. How do you qualify the planners you outsource to? In a highly unregulated industry we are not all created equal. Does your planner have Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) on staff? Do their staff have post-secondary degrees in industry-related programs? How many years have they been in business? Check their references and the scope of work they have done. Event planning is a logistical process requiring a high level of attention to detail that no one short of a perfectionist is able to provide. It is so important to put your trust in a qualified planner that can deliver superior results for your next conference or special event.

Sharing Knowledge at ACCC Conference in Banff
posted by brent taylor on October 15, 2009
Arlene and I recently had the opportunity to speak at an ACCC conference in Banff. We were invited by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges to share our expertise on planning meetings and events. It was a great pleasure to present to such a receptive audience. We were very pleased to see such a great interest by colleges from across Canada in developing programs in meeting and event planning. This is a key factor that is going to help develop the standards and professionalism of our industry. Thank you to all who attended our session. We look forward to future opportunities.

One of our own achieves CMP Certification
posted by arlene schilke on October 15, 2009
All of us at Timewise are thrilled that our own Brent Taylor just received his designation as a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). Congratulations Brent! All of us at Timewise have been working toward achieving the very high standards required to receive our CMP designations. CMP is the most recognized certification in the world within the meeting and event industry. It is administered and given out by the Convention Industry Council (CIC). Candidates must meet strict requirements in knowledge, experience and expertise. There is an added assurance of success in trusting your next meeting, conference or event to a CMP.

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