StarCite Blog Space

The November-December issue of Insurance & Financial Meetings Management ran a story about the new Strategic Meetings Management Certification (SMMC) program, and how it will "change the meetings industry forever." I'm pleased to share the link to the story with you, and I hope you get a few minutes to read it because it also profiles some of the participants of the first core week of instruction, which took place back in November.

Some of the comments from the first SMMC students are just so impressive. For example, there's Lasse Haugaard, who works for the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.  He came all the way to Atlanta because he's been charged with  implementing an SMMP, and he said: “Obviously, it takes a lot of work to get an overview of the meetings activities in a company with more than 25,000 employees worldwide. I’ve been finding it difficult to find people who are at the same stage as me. And this is my primary reason (for coming): to seek inspiration from NBTA.” 

Lasse attended my first European SMMP Roundtable in London last spring.  He was very eager to learn what he could about SMMP, and when I shared that there would be a SMMP certification from NBTA he was very interested in finding out more. Looks like he followed up!   

Another participant, Amy Harris, who's VP of SMM for SunTrust Banks, noted: “I’m charged with managing a successful program that grows and changes with the needs of my company. “With the knowledge I gained from the course, along with the perspective I gained from speaking with so many other leaders in our industry, I’ve gained a lot of confidence in my ability to face the challenges ahead.”

Insurance & Financial Meetings also ran a picture (below) of the student body of the first core week, including StarCite's own Senior Director of Product Development Jane Wolfe  (second row, second from right). The story also quoted Kari Kesler Knoll, who is a key principal in developing the curriculum and teaching SMMC, as well as a dear friend. She's President and Chief Strategist at KK Strategic Solutions (She's center, back row.) “We’re laying the groundwork for future experts to enable every business to be best-in-class," Kari said. "And we’re seeing that the industry and the people in it really want improved structure."

I was also very humbled when the magazine graciously quoted me and mentioned my history with NBTA. I told them that "companies that place a high value on managing meeting spend have a better chance of establishing effective programs than companies that don’t place as much value on procurement." I added: "It’s about discipline and fiscal responsibility. And it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. To be effective, a strategic meetings program has to be structured to meet the needs of each particular company, and it should be structured with the participation of those involved in meetings in that company.”

Thanks to Insurance & Financial Meetings for giving a big-picture view of the importance of SMMPs and the new SMMC designation, as well as for some great testimony from the first group of industry professionals! Nice to see such a big turnout, too!