Fall 2006 CTSM Newsletter

Welcome to the Fall 2006 edition of the CTSM Newsletter, keeping you up to date on the latest happenings and news for CTSM graduates and candidates.

In This Edition:
Ethics in the Workplace - Share Your Story
New Curriculum Options for CTSM Candidates with 5 or More Years of Experience
Show Operation Basics (Parts I and II) not Offered at EXHIBITOR2007
19 Earn CTSM Accreditation
15 Candidates Pass Comprehensive Exams at EXHIBITORFastTrak Conferences
Certification Upgrades: CTSM Graduates Continue to Excel
Reference Resources Available FREE - Just Provide Shipping
Job Opportunities
Update Your Contact Information

Ethics in the Workplace - Share Your Story
At EXHIBITOR2007 we will premiere a new session about ethics in the workplace to be presented by Dr. Terry Bishop from Northern Illinois University, our CTSM affiliate institution. The title is "Management Skills and Principles of Ethics Management."

At the university he addresses this topic from a general perspective for all business-type environments; however, to best address the needs of our industry-specific audience, he would like to tailor his presentation to include real life examples from the trade show and event industry. If you've experienced a tough ethical question at your company (dealing with national or international relationships), please contact me at jnelson@ctsm.com with your experience.

I will forward the experiences to Dr. Bishop, minus names/companies so they remain anonymous. This does not mean that he will address each forwarded issue individually. Rather, he will select some real life issues with the most commonality among the responses or some that are very unique, and discuss the proper way to deal with them.

We appreciate your feedback in helping to make this session as meaningful as possible.


New Curriculum Options for CTSM Candidates with 5 or More Years of Experience
Beginning with EXHIBITOR2007, our CTSM advisors have selected eleven optional electives that could be taken as replacements for some of our CTSM-required courses. These options are offered to trade show and event managers who have 5 OR MORE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE and feel they know all the information in the more basic CTSM-required courses. Option choices must be approved by the CTSM Executive Director to verify that there is a proper balance of selections among the various tracks of learning. IMPORTANT NOTE: The comprehensive exam for all examinees will include questions from all of the baseline 23 required seminars, not from the optional choices.

Save the Date for EXHIBITOR2007 March 25-29, 2007 at Mandalay Bay Registration Begins November 2006	Registration is Open for Both Conferences October 10-12, 2006 in Las Vegas November 7-9, 2006 in Atlanta

Show Operation Basics (Parts I and II) not Offered at EXHIBITOR2007
Candidates who still need to take these required seminars must do some pre-planning. Due to a scheduling conflict, speaker Candace Adams, CTSM, CME, CMP, CMM, and CEM, will not be able to present these seminars during EXHIBITOR2007.

Instead, there is opportunity to take them October 10 at EXHIBITORFastTrak Las Vegas. You could also meet the requirements by taking Candy's All-Day Workshop: Trade Show Rookies "Quick Start" Program, which will be offered on SATURDAY, MARCH 24, prior to the start of EXHIBITOR2007's regular conference schedule. Those not on a fast track through the program will have a chance to take Show Operation Basics the following year.


19 Earn CTSM Accreditation
During the first eight months of 2006, nineteen people joined the ranks of the trade show industry's top talent by completing EXHIBITOR's Certified Trade Show Marketer (CTSM) accreditation program. They join 148 other previous graduates who have demonstrated an extremely high level of competence in the tradeshow and corporate event marketing field.

Following are the 2006 CTSM graduates (to date):

• Annie St-Cyr, Marketing Communications Manager, Boston Scientific, Mississauga, ON, Canada
• Debbie McDermott, Group Leader, Marketing Communications, Tyco Healthcare/Kendall, Mansfield, MA
• Janette Babcock, National Trade Show Coordinator, Cambium Learning, Longmont, CO
• Mark Wolf, Marketing Manager, Tippmann Group, Fort Wayne, IN
• Norma Fiala, Exhibits Manager, SRA/McGraw-Hill, Columbus, OH
• CaSaundra James, Trade Show Manager, Exhibits & Events, Northrop Grumman, Herndon, VA
• Edward Gilhuly, Owner, Left Communication, Miami, FL
• Heidi Zipfel, Conventions Specialist, Aventis, Bridgewater, NJ
• Janet Wood, Exhibit Marketing Coordinator, CUNA Mutual Group, Madison, WI
• Sheila Bermel, Account Executive, MC2, Chestnut Ridge, NY
• Alyce Gregoire, Marketing Research Coordinator, McKesson HBOC, Frederick, MD
• Christy Lamagna, President and Chief Strategist, Strategic Meetings and Events, Bernardsville, NJ
• Angela Fraser, Marketing Programs Manager, California Avocado Commission, Irvine, CA
• Edward Thomson, Worldwide Events Manager, IDEX Precision Flow Products, Rohnert Park, CA
• Andrea Baryliuk, Communications Coordinator, Vansco Electronics Ltd., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
• Bonnie Kerrigan, Senior Trade Show Coordinator, Tyco Healthcare/Kendall, Mansfield, MA
• Susan Davis, Exhibit & Event Director, BRTRC, Charleston, WV
• Lisa Burke, Trade Show Consultant, CNA Insurance, Sleepy Hollow, IL
• Kimberly Sears, Marketing Communications Manager, Tyco Electronics Corporation, Fuquay Varina, NC

Congratulations to all the above! You can see photos of the graduates at www.CTSM.com/ctsmgraduates.asp.

15 Candidates Pass Comprehensive Exams at EXHIBITORFastTrak Conferences
Fifteen more CTSM candidates are getting closer to their goal of attaining CTSM credentials. These individuals have only their written portfolios left to complete. Sixteen more candidates are registered to take their exams at the upcoming EXHIBITORFastTrak conferences in Las Vegas and Atlanta. For those who are eligible to take the exam, there is still time to register for the Atlanta conference. Register online by October 9 to meet that deadline; otherwise, make your plans to take your exam at EXHIBITOR2007, March 27, 28, or 29.


Certification Upgrades: CTSM Graduates Continue to Excel
Certification is a lifetime credential; however, because of the dynamic nature of the industry and the rapidly changing knowledge and skills required of trade show and event managers, certification upgrades are recommended at a minimum of every five years. Our program has three levels of upgrades in place: Bronze (one additional CEU post-certification); Silver (two CEUs); and Gold (three CEUs).

This past year the following CTSM graduates earned certification upgrades:

* Bronze Level

• Heather Cline - Events Manager, Websense - CA
• Victoria Conti - Sr. Exhibit Consultant, Skyline Displays Manhattan - NY
• Jennifer Dotson - Manager, Groups & Incentives, RPMC - CA
• Kaye Eibeck - Trade Shows/Special Events Manager, Honeywell, Inc. - AZ
• Cheryl Johnson - Environmental Specialist, Tampa Electric Company - FL
• Nancy Meehan - Events & Promotion Coordinator, American Student Assistance - MA
• Gloria Robinson - Trade Show Manager, Systems & Electronics, Inc. - MO
• Edward Sandman - Exhibit Manager, Sauder & Wieland Furniture - IN
• Pamela Silver - Event Marketing Manager, Rockwell Collins - IA
• Joshua Stevens - Trade Show Manager, Xerox - OR
• Jennifer Waibel - Trade Show Program Specialist, Xilinx Inc. - CA
• Christopher Youngless - Marketing Manager, The D.S. Brown Co. - OH

* Silver Level

• Deanna Adkins - Trade Show Manager, MDS Pharma Services - NE
• Becky Crouse - Marketing Service Manager, Vanguard Piping Systems, Inc. - KS
• Kaye Eibeck (see above)
• Vincent Peperone - Community Development & Trade Show Manager, Entergy Louisiana - LA
• Lisette Riveira - Marketing Analyst, Florida Power & Light Co. - FL
• Pamela Silver (see above)

* Gold Level

• Deanna Adkins (see above)
• Becky Crouse (see above)
• C.P. Dail - Manager of Exhibits, American Red Cross - VA
• Melanie Swanson - Sales Associate, Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. - WI

These individuals have joined several other graduates who continue to strive for excellence. To date, 57 of our graduates (approximately 1/3) have attained bronze status, 28 have reached the silver level, and 20 have their gold level certification. Fourteen of the 20 have gone above and beyond the gold. I read a quote the other day, "All men are created equal, but ambition, or lack of it, soon separates them." These CTSM graduates are on the high end of the ambition scale. Bravo!


Reference Resources Available FREE - Just Provide Shipping
One of our graduates who is no longer managing trade shows and events has an extensive library of back issues of EXHIBITOR and other reference materials. If interested, email sherry@thesharpadvantage.com.


Job Opportunities
Have you heard of any job opportunities for trade show or event marketers in your area lately? Please share them with us so we can pass them along to CTSM candidates and graduates. We currently have CTSMers looking for positions in the Atlanta, Minneapolis, Denver and Boulder areas.


Update Your Contact Information
Are you moving or changing jobs soon? Do you have a new title or e-mail address? Take the time to go online to www.CTSM.com and complete the Update Your Contact Information form. That will help us keep you aware of what's happening in CTSM world.

Warm regards,


Janice Nelson
CTSM Executive Director
763-498-6538
jnelson@ctsm.com

507-424-4881  |  Fax: 507-289-5253  |  E-mail: wlewis@ctsm.com  |  www.CTSM.com
Certified Trade Show Marketer  -  Professional Certification for Corporate Exhibit and Event Management