CIC releases new ethics statement and policy for CMP program

The Convention Industry Council has released a new ethics statement and policy for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) program. The ethics statement and policy were developed by the CMP Board of Directors with the approval of the CIC board.

“The new ethics statement and disciplinary policy are an extension of policies that were already in place within the program,” said Karen Kotowski, CAE, CMP, chief executive officer of the Convention Industry Council. “Having both an ethics statement and an enforcement mechanism are a best practice and a necessity for all credible certification programs that set professional standards. The ethics statement outlines norms of professional conduct that should guide and act as a compass in day-to-day business dealings. The disciplinary policy establishes procedures and avenues of recourse in the very rare event when they are needed.”

The CMP program has long had an ethics statement that must be acknowledged by all CMP applicants and by all CMPs when they recertify.

“Having an ethics statement is not new for the CMP. The CMP Board felt it was important to make it more visible,” said Martie Sparks, CMP, Chair of the CMP Board of Directors and vice president of catering and convention services for Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. “It needed to be available as a resource for CMPs, outside of the application and recertification processes. And of course, it also needed to be a public document. As for the disciplinary procedures, from an administrative perspective the Board also felt it important to have written procedures in place to handle any ethics complaints, should they arise. An ethics statement without recourse is empty.”

The ethics resources are publicly available on the CIC web site at www.conventionindustry.org/CMP/Ethics.aspx. The Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) is recognized as the foremost certification for professionals working in the meetings, conventions, exhibitions and events industry. Established in 1985, the CMP program has certified more than 15,000 meeting professionals worldwide.