FAQs on Recertification

• 1. How do I submit my re-certification application?

  All recertification applications must be submitted online using your online CMP portal. If you have a CMP, you already have an online account even if you have not yet accessed it.

• 2. How do I access my online account?

  To access your Events Industry Council Portal record, go to www.eventscouncil.organd click the blue “Login” button at the top right side of the page. This will take you to the Portal login page. All CMPs have an online account. Please DO NOT CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT. Your username is the email address Events Industry Council has on file. The first time you visit your portal, you’ll need to reset your password by clicking the “Forgot your password” button on the page. Instructions for changing your password will be sent to you via email.

• 3. What if my email has changed?

  Please call Events Industry Council at +1 202-367-1190 or you can email us atcertification@eventscouncil.org.

• 4. How do I change my name?

  Please send an email to certification@eventscouncil.org. You’ll need to provide documentation of your name change (a government-issued ID such as a passport or driver’s license). Please include in your email the name we have for you on file.

• 5. When is my re-certification application due?

  Your re-certification application is due every five years on Dec. 31^st. You will find your re-certification due date on your certificate as well as your online portal page.

• 6. What are the re-certification requirements?

  To remain certified, you need to document how you have been staying current in the meetings industry. You can either report 25 clock hours of continuing education that relates to one of the 9 domains in the CMP International Standards or 15 clock hours plus three industry support activities. In addition, your application must show that you’ve had 36 months of full-time meeting related experience in the past five years. For a full explanation of the requirements, please download the CMP Recertification Handbook .

• 7. How do I prove that my continuing education activities align with the CMP International Standards?

  You will need to provide course descriptions for each session you attended. Make sure that the descriptions show that the materials relate to one of the domains in the International Standards.

• 8. Besides session descriptions, what other documents will I need?

  You will also need to upload proof of attendance. This can be an email confirmation of payment, a copy of your name badge or a list of attendees. You should create one pdf with both your session description and proof of attendance and load this document for each session.

• 9. If I attend an all-day seminar and it includes breakfast and lunch, exhibit hall hours, and networking breaks, how many hours should I report?

  Events Industry Council awards CMP credit only for educational sessions. Credits are awarded on an hour-for-hour basis down to the quarter hour so a 45-minute session, for instance, would be 0.75 hours. Generally, a one-day session will be 6 hours of education because breaks, meals, networking and exhibit hall hours are not awarded credit.

• 10. Do I have to report CEs for each of the 9 domains in the Standards?

  No, you do not have to have CEs for each domain.

• 11. Where can I find CE activities?

  Educational activities that have been pre-approved for CMP credit can be found in the Preferred Provider Directory, which can be found on the Portal home page under the Event/Education section. There are both virtual and face-to-face events to choose from. Make sure the email in your CMP portal matches the email you give the host organization to receive credit. If your emails don’t match, you can still report your attendance but you’ll have to upload the proper documentation.

  Many industry-related organizations that are not a member of the Preferred Provider Program also offer continuing education that can count for CMP credit. Please check their websites for continuing education opportunities.

• 12. If I go to a three-day event, do I have to list every session I attend?

  Yes, if the event is NOT part of the Preferred Provider Program, you will need to report each session you attended and provide documentation – proof of attendance and a course description.

• 13. How do I get my CE hours for a Preferred Provider event?

  After a Preferred Provider event has concluded, the host organization will upload the attendee list into the Events Industry Council portal (please allow at least two weeks for the upload to take place). Once the list is uploaded you will receive an email from Events Industry Council to “Claim Your CE Hours.” To claim your hours you simply go to your online portal and click the “Add/Edit Continuing Education” button at the bottom of your home page. Then, select the event, then click the “Edit” link on that line, enter the total number of hours you spent in continuing education sessions and click submit. You will not need to enter each session, the domain or upload any documentation.   

• 14. I went to a Preferred Provider event. Why are my CEs not showing in my portal account?

  Your attendance is uploaded into your account by the host of the event.  The host will upload your attendance within two weeks after the event has concluded. If the email you gave the host organization does not match the primary email in your CMP account, your attendance will not be uploaded. You can still get credit for attending but you will need to self-report your attendance and upload both a session description and registration confirmation

• 15. Do webinars or online courses count?

  Yes, webinars and online classes can count for CEs as long as the content of the webinar or course aligns with one of the domains of the CMP International Standard. Note that some Preferred Providers cannot upload attendee lists if the event was on-demand. In these cases, you can still self-report your attendance, providing a session description and registration confirmation.

• 16. Can I use classes from a college course I attended?

  Yes, if the content of the course aligns with the CMP-IS. You will need to upload a course description and proof of attendance.

• 17. Can I include trade show attendance as continuing education?

  No.  CE credit is only given for educational sessions.

• 18. Can Events Industry Council review a continuing education session I’m considering attending?

  Due to the volume of continuing education activities that our CMPs and exam applicants attend, Events Industry Council is unable to “pre-approve” a session, unless the session is submitted by a Preferred Provider.

• 19. Can my degree in Communications (or Marketing, Public Relations, etc.) count for CMP credit?

  If you are submitting an application using the “Professional Experience and Formal Education” option, the degree must be industry-related (such as Tourism, Event Planning or Hospitality); however, you may be able to submit one or more of your courses under the continuing education options provided the course is meeting-specific and/or aligns with one of the 9 domains in the CMP-IS.

• 20. Is it true that some of my continuing education doesn’t have to be meeting-specific?

  Effective January 1, 2016, the continuing education requirements have changed slightly. Now a percentage of your CEs can be non-industry specific as long as the learning objectives align with one of the 9 domains in the CMP International Standards (for instance, marketing or finance courses). For those re-certifying, up to 50% can be non-industry specific. All other CEs, however, must be specific to the meeting industry.

• 21. How long does it take to have my re-certification application reviewed and approved?

  Events Industry Council asks for 3-5 weeks for applications to be reviewed. Once the review is complete, you will receive an email explaining that your CMP has been re-certified, or in rare cases, that we need more information about the information you submitted.

• 22. How do I pay for my re-certification?

  You will be asked to pay your re-certification fee when you submit your online application. The fee will depend on when you submit your application because Events Industry Council offers discounts for submitting your application early.

  If you need to pay by check, you will click the pay by check button when submitting and then mail the check in for payment. Even though submitted, the application is not placed in the queue for review until payment is made.

• 23. What are the re-certification application fees?

  Application fees depend on when your application is submitted: Jan 1 through April 30: $200 (USD); May 1 through August 31^st: $225 (USD) and Sept. 1 through Dec. 31^st $250 (USD).

• 24. What if I miss the December 31st deadline?

  Events Industry Council allows you a grace period of three months after your due date to submit your re-certification application. All application requirements, however, must have taken place during your five-year certification cycle.

• 25. Can I submit my re-certification early?

  No, the new online recertification system will only let you submit your recertification application during your recertification year.

• 26. My certificate expired in 2011, can I still re-certify?

  No. In order to regain your certification you will need to re-apply, become a candidate and take and pass the exam.

• 27. I’ve been on my job and in the industry for 20 plus years, do I still have to complete the re-certification application?

  Yes. CMPs must re-certify every 5 years and prove that they are still working in the industry. Completion of the continuing education requirement ensures that the certificant is keeping current with the changes in the industry.

• 28. Will you review the attached sessions and let me know if they qualify and which domain they align with?

  Due to the volume of continuing education activities that our CMPs and exam applicants attend, Events Industry Council is unable to “pre-approve” a session, unless the session is submitted by a Preferred Provider.