IBTM, a part of Reed Travel Exhibitions’ (RTE) global meetings portfolio, partnered with the Association and Meetings Professionals’ Advancement Portal.
Powered by RecertTrack, the Advancement Portal will provide the industry with the first “Official Education Tracking Service” for event attendees. RecertTrack offers an e-certification renewal support solution to certified professionals in the sector.
“As the largest provider of events for the meetings sector, it made sense that we partner with this new industry initiative,” said Mandy Torrens, marketing manager, IBTM Portfolio of Events, Reed Travel Exhibitions. “Not only is RecertTrack sustainable as an online portal that complements our ISO certification, but it’s a clever idea and much needed in a sector where there is so much education and so many industry certifications. We will be launching this value-added service for EIBTM in Barcelona, but all of the IBTM portfolio of attendees will be able to receive a special subscription rate once they have uploaded their details and have registered to attend one of our shows.”
Boosting RTE’s commitment to the value and importance of industry certification, this new initiative will implement more than 40 knowledge sessions within its global portfolio, allowing attendees to earning CEU credits. RecertTrack will provide an online tracking service for industry certifications. At the same time, members of organizations like MPI, PCMA, ICCA, site and GMIC, among others, will be able to also sign up if they are attending IBTM events.
“This type of service portal is desperately needed in an industry that has put an emphasis and priority on increasing our value as meeting professionals,” said Michael Dominguez, CHSE, chair, MPI international board of directors. “With the variety of certification programs available, an aggregator that manages global education and news as well as the storage of documentation, activities and reminders for individuals certified through these programs is making the best use of technology to fit a need in the meetings industry.”
Presenting an education session called ‘To Certify or Not to Certify’ on Nov. 20, Cedric Calhoun, CEO and founder, RecertTrack, has spoken at various industry events on the value of certification and will be available for interviews throughout the show.
“If doctors and lawyers require certification to be regarded as competent and trusted in their occupations, why should event and meeting organizers be regarded as any different?” said Calhoun. “This isn’t just about qualifications; it is about creating a structure [that] can sustain ongoing re-certification, which will support career progression and help people move up within their industry.”
IBTM portfolio attendees will be asked to subscribe to the RecertTrack portal, and while they are creating their profile, they will be asked to enter a Group Code, which will be supplied when individuals sign up for an IBTM event. Attendees will automatically be given the special subscription rate.
