Government Connections - Spring 2012 - (Page 13) EDUCATION EDGE Why Become a Certified Government Meeting Professional By Lisa Silverman, MA, CGMP HAVE YOU EVER heard someone say that they never left school since they are always learning? That person is correct! In our daily lives, we are always learning new skills. Government meeting planners are always learning how they can better manage the logistics of a meeting. Suppliers are always learning how they can better engage new clients and meet revenue goals. Contracting officers are always learning how they can negotiate better deals with suppliers for government meetings. And during any part of the meeting planning phase, all of these people need to constantly work on improving their communication skills with each other. You may have left the classroom years ago, but the learning never stops! That isn’t to say that returning to the classroom for short bursts of time isn’t valuable. Semester-long (15 weeks) or quarterlong (10 weeks) courses at a local college or university can give you more in-depth knowledge about budgeting, sales, training methods or new computer programs. Hour-long monthly chapter education programs are a great way to learn something as simple as creative menu planning or to receive an update on new ethics regulations in your state. Extended chapter education conferences allow you to learn many topics over the course of a few days while simultaneously getting to spend some extra time networking with your chapter members. All of these are extremely valuable as they help you become a better government meeting professional. www.sgmp.org 13 http://www.sgmp.org Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Government Connections - Spring 2012 President’s Letter Editor’s Letter Going Places Education Edge That’s Technology Supplier Strategy Plan Green Travel Tips & Trends Good to Know Dieting on a Per Diem Navigating the NEC Expo Getting to Know You Building Strong Relationships What Do You Do? Business Cards SGMP Nation Membership News Conference Connection Advertisers’ Index The Meeting Minute Government Connections - Spring 2012 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0412 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0312 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0212 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0112 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0411 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0311 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0211 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0111 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0410 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0310 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0210 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0110 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0409 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SGMQ0309 http://www.nxtbookMEDIA.com