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NEW DEGREE
PROGRAM EXCLUSIVELY FOR
MEETING AND EVENT
MANAGEMENT CAREERS OFFERED BY MADISON AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Wisconsin students
now can earn an associate degree in the expanding field of meeting and
event management without leaving the state. Madison Area Technical College
(MATC) is offering the new degree with the support of the Wisconsin Chapter
of Meeting Professionals International (MPI-WI Chapter).
The program is the first of
its kind in the state of Wisconsin and possibly the only two-year college
Meeting and Event Planning Associate Degree Program in the United States.
It will help fill a need for trained meeting professionals to support
Wisconsin's nearly $1 billion meeting and convention industry, as measured
by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.
"The Wisconsin Chapter of Meeting
Professionals International saw a great need for this program," said Janet
Sperstad, CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) and president of Meeting
Expectations, Inc. Sperstad headed the MPI-WI team, which worked on developing
the degree with MATC tourism services faculty. She added "Wisconsin needs
trained meeting professionals, and our chapter has worked diligently for
the past several years to establish and implement such a program in our
state. We expect this comprehensive curriculum to attract new students,
including many individuals now working as administrative assistants, as
well as employees in the hospitality and meetings industry who may want
additional training."
Now most employers must train
their own meeting and event planners, who often enter this field after
first working in an administrative assistant or similar office position.
Providing this on-the-job training is extremely time-consuming for employers
and does not ensure consistent professional knowledge among new hires.
"The new MATC program will
focus specifically on teaching students to plan, conduct and promote meetings
for corporations, trade associations and other clients," stated Jack Hart,
a hospitality instructor at MATC and director of MATC's Meeting and Event
Management Program. "It also will help them to coordinate their programs
with conference centers, resorts and hotels, as well as organize conventions,
seminars, product launches and other events."
Graduates will be prepared
for jobs with titles such as meeting coordinator, conference manager,
and special events planner. According to information gathered by MATC,
the median annual base salary for a meeting manager working in the Madison
metro area is $43,000. Entry-level salaries in the field generally range
between $25,000 and $30,000.
Students enrolled in the program
will take courses that provide basic competencies for a meeting and event
professional, including:
- contract law, negotiations,
decision making;
- problem solving, communications;
- exhibit management;
- financial management; and
- others in general hotel
and travel management.
The program's coursework also
is designed to meet the needs of professionals seeking industry certification
and support those individuals trying to achieve the Certification in Meeting
Management (CMM) or Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designations.
MATC will start offering the Meeting and Event Management Program this
August. More information about the program is available by contacting
Linda Williams at 608/246-6369.
MATC is one of the largest
of the Wisconsin Technical College System's 16 colleges and serves about
50,000 individuals each year. It provides a comprehensive curriculum of
technical, liberal arts and science, adult basic education and life enrichment
studies and activities. It awards associate degrees, technical and vocational
diplomas and certificates, and offers non-degree courses. The college
serves all or part of 12 counties located in south-central Wisconsin and
offers instruction through five campuses and various other locations.
Chartered in Milwaukee in June
1977, the Wisconsin Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
currently has a total membership of 310, comprised of people who plan
meetings and conventions and those who supply services to meetings and
conventions. MPI is the world's leading global association committed to
shaping and defining the future of the meeting and event industry. With
more than 19,000 members in 64 countries, MPI empowers its members with
personal and professional excellence by providing them with superior education,
research, professional development and networking opportunities.
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Last
Modified:
June 11, 2002
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