The Minnesota chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and SPIN, the Senior Planners Industry Network, have teamed up to debut a new certificate course for meeting professionals in sustainable business practices at the University of Minnesota.
Participants in the 20-hour program will receive 20 Clock Hours from the Convention Industry Council upon completion of the hybrid-learning course, which combines eights hours of classroom instruction with 12 hours of self-directed learning with online resources.
The course was created by LearningWorx, a Canadian company founded by college professor Dean Boukydis and college curriculum designer Dennis Stevenson.
“[This course is] about learning what’s important to the majority of today’s businesses, and delivering solutions in a way that increases your professional value with new and existing clients,” explained Boukydis. “The topic on the minds of most leaders today is sustainable business practices, so align your expertise with what they need most going forward.”
"This is part of my dream to bring graduate-level education to the meetings industry, to fill the void for senior-level planners," said SPIN president Shawna Suckow, CMP. "We'll also offer a modified course for planners with less than 10 years of experience, because this topic is so important to our industry and all businesses who still want to be around in 20 years."
For SPIN President Suckow, continuing education for meeting planners is of crucial importance. “We need to start equipping planners with skill sets that resonate in the C-Suite and the HR office," said Suckow. "Inside our industry, we all value the CMP and the CMM, but those aren't always recognized by industry outsiders. This certificate will carry weight on a resume."
She added, "Everybody thinks they can just hang a shingle and call themselves planners! How do you stand out as somebody that truly has the right skill set to move your client or employer forward — not just order bagels and buses? I believe this course is a great way to differentiate yourself and show that you can walk the walk.”
The course begins on Oct. 10 at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism with a four-hour class, and ends on Nov. 6 with a final class session, with online instruction in between. Early bird registration is $545 for all MPI and SPIN Elite Members, and $595 for all others. After September, the cost of the course increases by $100.