Title: National Accounts Manager
Organization: Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Hometown: New Jersey
University of Education: Towson University
How has the CEM designation helped in your career?
Where to even begin. I came into this industry starting from ground zero. The CEM was truly my crash course into learning everything I needed to know from floor plan designs to registration management. I have been able to advance in my career significantly because I’m obtaining knowledge through work and through the CEM. The CEM prepared me for things I didn’t know I would be faced with.
Why is it important to maintain the CEM designation?
I think it is a very distinguished and respected designation within the industry. Id go as far and say its the CPA of accounting but for Events. There is always room to grow and learn about new things within the industry and that’s why its important to maintain the CEM designation. Take this year for example, virtual events became the forefront of our business and now there is a class specifically for virtual.
What made you want to obtain your CEM designation?
I have to give a shout out to my Director Emile Davis. He has been my biggest supporter and cheerleader during my career at SHRM. He knew that taking these courses would only make me a better employee within this industry.
What advice would you give to an aspiring individual who wants to apply for the CEM program?
DO IT! It does take time but the value of this designation is worth every second. IAEE also offers so many ways to take the CEM which helped me maintain a full time job while getting my CEM. It is also a great way to learn about other colleagues in the industry.
How did you start your career in this industry?
My first job in Exhibits & Sponsorships was with SHRM in 2019. Over the course of these two years it has been amazing to watch how the conference industry changes and rebounds.
How have you made a difference with your show or with working with a client by applying the knowledge you gained by obtaining your CEM designation?
There are so many ways to use the things you learn in these courses throughout the whole process of hosting an event. I use CEM knowledge for developing contracts, selling to clients, working on new creative designs for floorplans and so much more. It has allowed me to bring a sense of change to the organization and events team.
What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
One of the first courses I took was event marketing and I immediately applied that to my job. I had noticed that we didn’t have a strategy when it came to marketing our exhibits & sponsorships to protentional clients. I was able to take the ideas and knowledge for the course and implement them into our new strategy. This strategy make our email campaigns more professional and allowed us to get analytics on the prospects.
Fun fact about you – What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
My favorite sport is Hockey (Go Devils!). I think it is underrated and every person should give a game a try. The energy that fills the rink is truly something you can only experience.
