New MPI and Radisson SAS Partnership to Invest in Education for European Meeting Industry
Radisson SAS to train employees with MPI’s CMM designation; affirms commitment to meeting excellence
May 20th, 2003… Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts is making a significant and unprecedented investment in the future of the European meeting industry by equipping over 1,500 of its employees with specialized training and education. This includes Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) prominent advanced-level professional designation, the Certification in Meeting Management (CMM).
The new partnership will allow Radisson SAS employees to deliver more precise service to its meeting planner clients, and take a more active role to ensure that the strategic, as well as the logistical goals of the meeting are accomplished. Radisson SAS will also sponsor a group of employees at MPI’s Europe CMM programme, being held later this year in Chantilly, France.
Announced today at EIBTM 2003 in Geneva, MPI commended Radisson SAS for its commitment to education which ultimately will advance the meeting profession throughout Europe and around the world. “We are pleased to join forces with a partner such as Radisson SAS who supports our commitment to the professional development of the industry,” said David DuBois, CMP, CAE, interim chief operating officer for MPI and executive vice president of the MPI Foundation. “With each new CMM recipient, this acclaimed designation truly defines the strategic value of meetings and the return on investment they bring to organizations.”
Radisson SAS is building on its Yes I Can spirit of service and takes its meeting professionalism to a new level and beyond. Extensive research has proven that the soft values are ranked as top priority among meeting planners. No matter how hi-tech the facilities may be, it is still the level of personal service that counts. By certifying an advanced member of staff with the CMM training in all designated hotels, Radisson SAS brings the training to a hands-on hotel level. Every CMM recipient will carry out personal training in each hotel. “Our strategic partnership with MPI and the CMM designation will add a whole new dimension to our investment in education of our employees,” said Marcus Bernhardt, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts. “As a result, the meeting intelligence at Radisson SAS will significantly benefit our meeting planner clients, and our know-how will ultimately bring the meeting experiences to a new level for our guests.”
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Started in Europe in 1995 by MPI, CMM is the industry’s first university-supported global professional designation which focuses on strategic thinking and management skills that are critical to advancement in the meeting industry. The CMM designation helps advance professionals with 10-plus years experience into more strategic positions within their respective organizations. To date, 254 meeting professionals worldwide have earned this acclaimed designation.