International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) President & CEO David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA announced the collaboration between IAEE and various international organizations that will expand IAEE’s education and membership offerings worldwide.
“It has been a very productive year in terms of IAEE’s efforts to grow on an international level,” said IAEE President & CEO David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA. “IAEE is very proud of its CEM Learning Program and the growing roster of graduates around the world. IAEE’s focus on international cooperation is based on a mutual interest within the global exhibitions and events industry to have solid business practices that can be translated to any event in any part of the world.”
International growth is a key initiative in IAEE’s strategic plan. Membership outside of the U.S. grew 26 percent YoY from 2013. 28 countries were represented at the 2014 Expo! Expo!, a 20 percent increase over 2013.
During the Opening General Session on Dec. 9, IAEE entered into agreements with AFIDA, the Latin America Trade Shows Association, the Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Industry Association (SCEIA) and the Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA) that will extend benefits in education, research, stats and general exposure for members of each respective organization.
Also signed during the 2014 Opening General Session were licensing agreements with leaders of organizations representing the Middle East and Thailand, expanding IAEE’s CEM Learning Program in those regions. Nasaafir is an organization based in Dubai that will operate the CEM Learning Program in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) covering the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) will operate the CEM Learning Program in the South-East Asia region including Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei and East Timor.
The Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) designation was created in 1975 to provide a professional designation for individuals in the exhibition industry. The designation was formed to raise professional standards and is recognized throughout the industry as the premier mark of professional achievement. The CEM Learning Program is currently offered in the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Singapore, Spain and Taiwan. More than 2,200 active CEMs around the world make up the CEM Network which serves as a new channel for communication, ideas, thought leadership, industry recognition and promotion.
