Q1. What is CMP? When is your class happening?

A. CMP stands for Certified Meeting Professional. It is a highly valuable and highly recognizable certificate which is also frequently referred to as “the events industry badge of excellence”.

The next CMP class will take place this Fall. The class will be a total of 16 hours held over 4 virtual sessions. These sessions will be held on: Saturday, November 1; Sunday, November 2; Saturday, November 15; and Sunday, November 16. Each session will run from 1:00 - 5:30 PM Eastern Time.

Q2. Is it only about the CMP Exam? Do I need a CMP at all?

A: It is absolutely not only about the CMP exam. I would say, apart from technical questions on what the domains include and how to approach your exam preparation/exam in general, all other information you will get is 100% applicable to your actual work. And that’s not what I say – that’s what my students think and what they share. If you want to hear more of an actual feedback – I have a YouTube channel called “Meetings, Events and Education by Joanne Dennison, CMP, MSEd” and there are several interviews that you may find very useful if you’re still thinking about if you should take my class and what you’ll get out of it. Or if you’re just considering getting your CMP and want to hear the stories of others on how/if CMP actually helped them in some way.

Q3. How much does it cost to attend your class and what are the options?

A. The price is $780 USD. There is not a discount if you miss any part of the session, and sessions are not recorded.

If you need a Payment Plan due to your current situation, please contact Steve Hoffman at steve@thetaxtranslator.com.

Q4. What are other options that I see on the registration page?

A. There are two more options on the registration page:

- Take Again Student - This option is only available to prior attendees – meaning you have taken my class once before – and now you can register again with no payment needed. Please see the description below under the “What does the Take-Again option mean?” question.

Q5. Apart from the registration for your class, what other charges/fees will I need to pay to become a CMP?

A. CMP application submission fee (non-refundable) is $350 USD

Exam fee (non-refundable) is $525 USD

These fees will be paid directly to EIC and are current as of January 2025.

For the latest fee structure and other information, please go to the EIC website for the latest updates.

 Events Industry Council. www.eventscouncil.org

Q6. I want to take your class and become a CMP. Can I ask my company to pay for me?

How do I assure my boss that it’s necessary for my professional growth and development?

How do I show the organization will benefit - not just me?

How do I explain all the benefits of investing in me?

A. What a great question! Actually, I have a short but very efficient video called “Conversation with Decision Maker about Taking Joanne's Class” on my YouTube channel - “Meetings, Events and Education by Joanne Dennison, CMP, MSEd”. Please check it out – I shot this one especially for such cases. Also, again on my YouTube channel, check out the Playlist called “Stories from the CMPs” – almost all of them refer to how the knowledge they got in my class actually helped them to enhance work performance.

What you may find very useful is a CMP info session, which again, can be found on my YouTube channel - CMP Info Session: How to become a CMP from A to Z or on my website themeetguide.com. Please note that pricing for books and exam fees has changed since the video was filmed. For current pricing, refer to the EIC website. Other than that, the majority of the information remains accurate.

And, of course, you can always reach out to me at joanne@joannedennison.com. I totally get it that there are no two identical cases, and every person requires an individual approach – so we can discuss it together with you and find the best words to express how much you’ll be able to get out of the class.

Q7. What is included in the price I pay for registration?

A. You pay for 4 days/16 hours of class.*

However, there are a lot more opportunities, if you choose to participate.

2  Answers Afterwards sessions (more information below in Q9)

Take-Again option (more information below in Q10)

And that is not including endless networking opportunities - you will spend 4 days with people from different cities, countries, and even continents, who are working in the same industry, so I always strongly recommend my students connect to each other on LinkedIn!

Also, I have my own invitation-only community called Joanne’s CMP Community on Mighty Network. Anyone who has taken my class is eligible to be a member. You will receive an invitation when you register. It’s a great place to network and ask questions of others who have taken the class. You can connect with people geographically, post jobs, look for jobs, ask questions about things other than the CMP…and a lot more.

*These 16 hours are classified as Continuing Education hours and may be used towards CMP exam application/recertification.

Q8. What is the Registration and Cancellation Policy?

Students must be registered and paid in full to attend the sessions unless a payment plan has been agreed upon. There is not a discount if you miss any part of the session. Cancellations may be made through October 18, 2025 (until midnight ET), for a refund less of the $100.00 processing fee. No refunds as of October 19, 2025. Registration can be applied to future classes. Registrants may take another class directly sponsored by The Ordinary Success Project at no additional charge. It does not apply to any classes that are held through other organizations.

Q9. What are "Answers Afterwards" sessions and when will they happen?

When the class is over, and you start preparing, most likely you will have a lot of questions popping up. So, you may write them down and participate in the Answers Afterwards sessions to get these questions answered!

These are discussion-based with me, and a great way to clarify things and fill in anything you might have missed.

Dates for the "Answers Afterwards" sessions for the Fall 2025 class: Sunday, November 23, and Sunday, December 7, from 3:00 - 4:30 PM Eastern Time.

Please note, while CMP Exam Class hours qualify as Continuing Education (CE) hours for CMP application/recertification, Answers Afterwards hours DO NOT qualify as CE hours.

Q10. What does the Take-Again option mean?

A. No matter if you want to take a class one more time before you take the exam; or you did not pass; or you get your CMP and still feel like you need to retake it because everything we'll be talking about is perfectly applicable to your actual work; or you just want to hang out with me (and everyone else) for 16 more hours - you are always welcome to do so. As many times as needed with no restrictions.

Q11. If I can't attend all 4 days or all 16 hours of class; if I can't use Answers Afterwards; or if I know for sure I will never ever decide to take a class again - can I get a discount or a refund?

A. No. When you register, you pay to attend the class once. If you can't attend all 4 days/16 hours, you may ask your classmates to share their notes from the part you missed. But there will be no refunds or discounts just because you couldn't participate.

As for the Answers Afterwards and the Take-Again Option, they are not included into the registration price - this is what you get complimentary! So, there can't be refunds or discounts on what you do not pay for. And by the way, they are both great ways to fill in anything you missed.

Q12. Will all the CMP Exam domains be covered during the 16-hour class?

A. Yes, we cover all domains during the class. The time is distributed between the domains according to:

1)    The percentage of presence of each domain on the exam. For example, Domain H appears in 38 questions, making up 25% of the exam. Because of this, we dedicate significantly more time to it compared to domains that only make up 5% of the exam . All domains are not created equal.

2)   The struggle it causes reading it on your own. Some topics seem to be so scary and confusing, that just the fact that it will be on the exam stresses people out and overwhelms them. Although they may not be a large part of the exam, it blocks people from focusing on other parts.

Q13. Are any materials provided? Are books provided?

A. There will be a bunch of files that you’ll need to download prior to the beginning of the class – printouts/handouts. When you register, these materials will be emailed to you– Please download the files prior to the class and review them ---we will reference them in class so have them handy!

No, books are not provided, but there are required books for studying that you will have to buy.

Q14. What books are recommended for the CMP Exam preparation, how much do they cost, and where do I order them from?

These two are the absolute musts for preparing:

EIC/CIC Manual, 9th Edition. Hard copy: $99.95 USD, e-book format: $69.95 USD, Hard copy and e-book combo discount: $150 USD (must be purchased at the same time to receive discount)

(I do not recommend buying the e-book format. Many people have told me that they regretted buying the e-book because it is more of a PDF than a true e-book.)

APEX Glossary – 2019 Edition: $35.00 USD.

Pricing is from the EIC website as of January 2025.

Link to EIC Store: https://eic-publications.myshopify.com/

Q15. Is it like a real in-person class or more of a webinar?

A. For the virtual sessions, it is totally like an in-person class and absolutely NOT a webinar. Even though it may seem that interaction is limited when you are attending a class via Zoom (or any other platform), I do my best to make everyone feel like we are physically in a classroom. I do not use PowerPoints - I use flip charts, and keep writing and drawing during the class, because I believe it's a lot clearer - especially in some cases. The flip charts also allow me to answer specific questions with tailored answers.

Q16. Will the class be recorded and will those recordings be shared/published?

A. For several reasons I DO NOT record my CMP class. Sometimes me or my co-hosts on Zoom record classes - but this is only done for our internal use. Those recordings will not be shared or published anywhere. I ask that you do not record it in any way either.

Q17. Is there a Q&A option?

A. Yes. I want each class to be very interactive, so I encourage students to ask questions by raising their hands. I will address questions either when they are asked or during a Q&A pause. It all depends on where we are in the material.

This is also why the Answers Afterwards sessions are so important. We tackle all those questions that come up while you are working on your own.

Q18. Is communication between students encouraged during class?

A. Like in an in-person class, indeed, it is. But only during the breaks :) The CMP Exam is a very serious exam, so I would strongly recommend that during the class you pay all of your attention to the topics being covered. Also, while for lots of people online class is a lot less distracting than an in-person one, for some it is vice versa. So, you may want to eliminate all distractions including side chat conversations. Another thing I would recommend you refrain from (especially in a common chat room) is sharing your experience on failing the exam, or asking for such experience from others. I know it may feel comforting in some ways, but we are all very different, and trust me - this may do more damage than good. Also when you register, you will receive a link to join Joanne’s CMP Community, an invitation-only community for people who have taken my CMP classes. That is a great place to connect with others. You can also build your own study group if you want, by connecting with people who are interested, and available at the same times you are.

Q19. Are any practice quizzes provided/recommended?

A. No. There are no practice quizzes provided in the class. Also, I strongly discourage you from taking ANY quizzes, including those on apps. At the beginning of my class, I’ll explain in detail why I feel they are not the best use of your study time, and how they can actually harm your preparation.

Q20. Are there any recommendations on how I should study provided during the class?

A. Yes. In the first hour of the first class, I focus heavily on that, before we even get to the material. I go through a series of recommended steps (I call it Strategic Studying) on the order of the materials, the importance of creating time and how to do that, and more on how to organize the preparation process. And it allows you to take the information and shape it for you—one size does not fit all. In the end, it is how to get the biggest Return on the Investment of your time and money.

If you have any questions, please contact Joanne Dennison directly at Joanne@JoanneDennison.com.

Please note, this service is not intended for Joanne's CMP students who have taken her CMP class.

Have a question you can’t figure out? Stressed because you don’t know the most strategic way to spend your study time? Didn’t pass the exam the first time and trying to figure out what to do differently? Joanne’s CMP Prep Hotline can help!

Rates:

• 15 minutes - $50
• 30 minutes - $75
• 45 minutes - $100
• 60 minutes - $125