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Heard it from Planner Dana Saal, CMP, CAE

Q: What key attributes, qualities or skills are you looking for in your Event Services Representative?
A: An Event Services Representative’s key attributes are a good memory, focus and a positive attitude:
• A good memory so he/she can memorize my agenda, recall my special needs (whether contract-worthy or not) and partner with me in my decision-making.
• Focus so he/she can concentrate exclusively on me and my event when engaged with me—even with other clients who also demand attention.
• A positive attitude because positive people are more creative, make the rough spots smoother and are easier to work with. They are also more pleasant and fun. This is not the same as someone who is supportive and gets the job done. That’s very important, of course, but someone who gets it done can also have a negative attitude and we can see through it.

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Heard it from Planner Kari Ziblut, CMP, Sr. Meeting & Event Planner, Office of the Sr. Vice Chancellor, University of Kansas Medical Center

Q: What key attributes, qualities or skills are you looking for in your Event Services Representative?
A: I’ve always said the best service partners are those who have a very strong operations background. And I mean everything from the bell stand to the banquet kitchen. The reason this is so important is that I don’t want to be offered some amazing, blow my attendees away, service only to have it not happen as planned, if at all because you couldn’t pull it off. Like this example – you have got to know exactly how you’re going to pull off an “all hands on deck” ballroom turn in your sleep or things will go very badly very quickly.

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ESPA is a CMP Preferred Provider

ESPA is committed to providing education that will help support its members’ goal to be a CMP designate. ESPA became a CMP Preferred Provider from the start of the inception of this offering. CMP Preferred Providers are organizations that have formally registered with the Events Industry Council and are committed to providing education that aligns with one of the 9 domains included in the CMP International Standards (CMP-IS). The CMP- IS domains are: Strategic Planning, Project Management, Risk Management, Financial Management, Human Resources, Stakeholder Management, Meeting or Event Design, Site Management, and Marketing.

For sessions that are CMP approved content, ESPA uploads participant information directly to the Events Industry Council web site, making it easy to track your continuing education hours requirement.