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CERTIFICATIONS

The exhibit industry seems a little C sick. What do all of the C-related initials, such as CTSM, CME, and CMM mean?

The initials after some people's names represent the industry-related certifications they've earned. That ever-present C, then, almost always means "Certified," and the rest of the initials stand for various specialties within the industry. Here's a brief rundown of the most popular exhibit-industry certifications.

CTSM stands for Certified Trade Show Marketer (www.ctsm.com). Offered by Exhibitor Media Group, CTSM is the only university-affiliated professional certification program in the exhibit-marketing industry. Candidates must complete 28 seminars, which equals 42 hours of classroom study, at EXHIBITOR Show and EXHIBITOR FastTrak conferences. Upon completion, candidates earn four CEUs through Northern Illinois University Outreach.

Offered by the Trade Show Exhibitors Association, CME is the Certified Manager of Exhibits designation. Applicants earn continuing-education units via educational opportunities offered by the TSEA (www.tsea.org), and hours of continuing education from other industry-related events are also accepted.

The CMP, or Certified Meeting Professional designation, is offered by the Convention Industry Council (www.conventionindustry.org). It recognizes individuals who are employed in meeting management, pursue continuing education, increase industry involvement, and gain industry-wide recognition. The requirements for certification are based on professional experience and a written examination.

CMM stands for Certification in Meeting Management and is offered through Meeting Professionals International (MPI) (www.mpiweb.org). Requirements include a five-day course; plus, candidates participate in a four-step process that includes pre-residency, residency, examination, and a post-residency project.

CEM, or Certified in Exhibition Management, is offered by the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) (www.iaee.com). Certification requires classroom hours, comprehensive examinations, a practical application of knowledge, and networking.

- EXHIBITOR Staff