The Event Data Analysis course can best be described as a practitioner’s journey from problem identification to presentation of recommendations. As our roles continue to evolve within the meetings industry, becoming more strategic is at the core of our evolution. But what does it mean to be strategic? Being strategic is not only a critical attribute of leadership but also involves the ongoing practice of making informed decisions, which are based on data, not intuition. As an event strategist, you need the ability to think critically, with a lens that supports overarching goals. You need to be able to extract insights from data and determine the next steps. You need to compare and contrast solutions. You need to form and communicate recommendations in ways stakeholders and executives can easily understand.

Your No. 1 role as a meeting professional isn’t executing flawless experiences or driving business results for your organization. It’s ensuring the safety and security of the people you have brought together onsite. But if this is your most critical role, how prepared do you feel for stepping into it during a crisis or incident? And do you have the plans in place to ensure that you are successful? Build and maintain an understanding of the risk management and emergency planning process with this six-hour certificate course, developed in partnership with the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at the University of Southern Mississippi. Discover processes for risk assessment and emergency preparedness, adapted from the best-in-class experts in marathons and World Cups. Deep dive into incident management strategies as needed for the prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery from all-hazard emergency incidents. Discover techniques to prevent and respond to everything from ordinary incidents such as fights or drunkenness to extraordinary crimes, violence, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters. You’ll Be Able To: 1. Differentiate between events and incidents for managing risk onsite at meetings and events of all kinds 2. Identify various stakeholders in communication and collaboration for meeting and event emergency preparedness 3. Apply risk assessment and management techniques to mitigate, transfer, accept and/or avoid the risk Implement and execute the critical components of the emergency planning process 4. Create post-event reports and lessons learned and implement tactics for continuous improvement.

Contracting and negotiation are crucial—yet complex—roles for meeting professionals and understanding legal terminology and common contract clauses (and the liabilities they protect against) allows meeting professionals to negotiate from a position of strength. Even if you know what to look for, contracting is dynamic, and negotiation strategies change with market conditions, competition, and the economy. Solid knowledge of contract law and negotiation tactics enables meeting professionals to protect the interests of their organizations. With knowledge comes power, especially when it comes to legal matters. You’ll Be Able To: 1. Explain the purpose of the primary contract clauses found in venue contracts. 2. Give examples of how contract language may result in financial or liability risk. 3. Prioritize issues for negotiation, determining “hot buttons” based on your meeting specifications. 4. Distinguish between contract language that is merely unfavorable and that which puts a party at significant financial or liability risk. 5. Negotiate key performance and liability clauses in at least three different ways so that the result is multiple options and not just a win-lose scenario. 6. Modify venue contracts based on knowledge of meetings contracts, meeting specifications, market conditions, and knowledge of the venue.

The meetings and event industry is rapidly changing. No longer are we tied to only the practical or application-based modes of executing our craft, rather, more and more meeting professionals are taking a front seat in leading and growing their organizations through the power of meetings and events.

By engaging in the CMM program, you will learn how to assert yourself as a dynamic and credentialed professional through our three-pronged educational approach, which focuses on, Business Management, Leadership, and Meeting Management.

*This badge is only for those who completed the CMM prior to (2018) it being offered in partnership with the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.*