Today Meeting Professionals International (MPI) announced the free, public distribution of the Meeting & Business Events Competency Standards (MBECS) at mpiweb.org/mbecs.
The standards were collaboratively created and designed to quickly help a meeting professional discern which areas in their professional development they need to pursue to advance their career.
“These standards are arguably one of the most important resources we have ever had in terms of professional development and career enhancement,” said Bruce MacMillan, MPI president and CEO.
“By using the MBECS as a field guide to success, professionals in any role and at any stage of their career can now follow a reliable path to career advancement by developing key skills and mastering competencies that will get them to the next level.”
The standards were jointly developed with the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council and funded primarily by the MPI Foundation, with additional contributions from hundreds of academic advisors and senior meeting professionals around the world through various task forces and committees (acknowledged in MBECS index).
“The mission of the MPI Foundation is to support the prosperity of the meetings and events industry,” said Didier Scaillet, MPI chief development officer, MPI & MPI Foundation.
“By funding the development of the standards we are supporting the strengthening of our industry on a global scale. I’m proud of the work done by all contributors.”
Acknowledging the need for consistent global standards, the Convention Industry Council (CIC) has aligned their recently updated CMP International Standard, which provides the blueprint for becoming a Certified Meeting Professional, to the new MBECS/CTHRC standards.
Beyond the formal certification process, MBECS is also a relevant tool in the day-to-day professional development of meeting and event professionals. Students and academic instructors can use the standards to influence curriculum and course selection while hiring managers can develop more accurate job descriptions based on clearly defined competencies.
A planner looking at the year ahead for professional development or choosing conferences and conventions to attend, can evaluate educational offerings based on where they are and where they want to be.
“As I mentor students interested in the meeting and event management profession, I will use the standards to craft students' professional development plans,” said Dr. Amanda Cecil, CMP of the School of Physical Education and Tourism at Indiana University and Chair of the MPI Body of Knowledge Task Force.
“This will allow future industry leaders to have confidence that they are focusing on the knowledge, skill and ability elements essential to be successful in this field.”
Covering every conceivable area of expertise from strategic planning and event design to stakeholder management and varying areas of communication, the standards are easy to navigate considering the breadth and depth of data in all 87 pages.
Each major category is broken down into individual skill sets, and then quickly indicates via graphics the number of years it takes to master, how often the skill is utilized and the sub-skills that would need to be developed to achieve mastery.
“It is one thing to call ourselves professionals and another thing altogether to be regarded and respected as professionals by organizations and employers outside the meeting industry,” said Carol Krugman, CMP, CMM with Metropolitan State College of Denver.
“Having recognized standards will provide the necessary framework and increased credibility we have been seeking for decades.”
The standards are available to download now at www.mpiweb.org/mbecs
