"When you ask the best questions of yourself and others, you invite the best answers." - Angela Bassett

Just in case you missed the last edition, here is a link to it for you

Last Edition



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Congratulations New CMPs

I have crossed paths during their preparation through a mixture of my 16-hour virtual classes, my two-day in-person classes, the MPI Global Master Class, my videos, and some random conversations. I am very proud and happy for you, and it means a lot to have been part of your journey.



Early Registration for the Summer CMP Class

Opens on May 15!

The class is 16 hours long over 4 sessions:

Saturday, July 29; Sunday, July 30; Saturday, August 12; and Sunday, August 13.

All sessions are from 1:00-5:30 PM Eastern Time.

New students who register during early registration will receive a free CMP Prep To Go! (Value of $175 USD)

Click here to learn more about the CMP Prep To Go

There is a limit of 25 early registration spots, so we recommend registering as soon as possible to secure your spot!

Want to learn more about my CMP classes?

Check out The MeetGuide website.

Things That Interest Me...and Maybe You (Part 1)

Merge Mansion

I don’t play Merge Mansion, but I have certainly seen enough commercials on my phone and on TV. They do a great job of catching my attention, I am just not a “merge puzzle” person. This article about an in-person event to promote the game-----how clever and how fun! I realize the newest commercials were probably filmed at that time. I would love to bring a favorite book, movie or many other things to life!

BizBash

The CDC Conference with Covid outbreak

This is under “Of Course it Did and how real Life is stranger than a movie script.”

Vox

The Risk Conference with Active Shooters – Riskworld

NorthStar Meetings Group

U.S. PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act

I remember the first time I was asked for a room for someone to pump in. It was over 25 years ago. Fortunately, the hotel was great about setting this up. Now we have Portable nursing/pumping rooms that we can rent and add to any event, and many places now have permanently designed places. A long way from Mom’s having to use the stall in the restroom, or not attend.

BizBash

Joanne's Online CMP Community!

Why should you join the CMP Community?

The CMP community contains helpful resources that can only be accessed by members. For example, we recently posted a guide to CMP Continuing Education Hours for Application and Recertification. This document explains what CE hours are, what content counts for credit, and it also provides a list of resources for where to get CEs quickly and easily.

Request to join today!

Reminder, only people who have taken a class with me, either directly through my company or through another organization, are eligible to join.

Things That Interest Me...and Maybe You (Part 2)

Meetings and Events

What It’s Like to be a Minority at a Conference

What are you doing at your meetings, conferences, and events to make sure this does not happen, or is addressed if it does? It makes me sad that these are the same issues that I have seen since I came out of college---decades ago.

Nature

Fee Transparency at Hotels

Interesting point in this article about negotiating fees for your room block----and how it can keep people from booking outside the block.

MeetingsNet

5 Ways to Make Social Media Messages More Inclusive

Interesting---very. I am pretty consistent about making words stand out in URLs so people can actually read them, but never thought about doing it with hashtags. Many other good thoughts too.

PCMA

What if You Were Running a Meeting at this Hotel?

Do you have mutual indemnification? What kind of release do your attendees agree to when they register? And yes there was a meeting going on.

ABC News

If you’re preparing for the CMP exam but cannot take my class, the CMP Prep To Go v2 would be a great study tool for you!

What is it?

The CMP Prep To Go is an extremely user-friendly thumb drive containing more than 80 study materials - videos, documents, and visual graphics- which can help prepare for the CMP exam and further your career.

From very detailed guidance of the CMP process to study and test tips, the CMP Prep To Go is full of study pieces - some are exclusive!

To learn more about the CMP Prep To Go v2, go to The MeetGuide Store

Things That Interest Me...and Maybe You (Part 3)

Hotels and Travel

Greece pledges to make over 200 beaches more accessible

Hopefully more countries will follow.

USA Today

7 Things that Drive Me Crazy in Hotels

I agree with many of these. Decorative pillows and trying to find where to put them when you need to move them----and I don’t want to put them on the floor, although guessing many people do. All the more reason I don’t want to use them or have them on my bed!

Escape

Cleaning Hotel Rooms Every Day---Good or Bad?

How many jobs are being lost and looking at who holds those jobs? Also safety—I would not want to be the only housekeeper on a big floor for many reasons. And I have known people who feel they can leave their room in any condition they want---after all “that’s what housekeeping is paid for”. I feel anyone who cleans my bathroom (and I probably leave it better at a hotel than home), deserves to be paid fairly, and never fear for their health and safety. Do you negotiate about this in your contracts?

NPR

500, 000 US Passport Applications a Week

And 13 weeks to process….

Meetings and Conventions

Business Class Like You Have Never Seen

Wow.

The Points Guy