By Laura Purdy, CEM, CMM | General Manager | Exhibition Place
Back in 2006, the Canadian Association of Exposition Management (CAEM) offered the Certified in Exhibition Management® (CEM) Learning Program through its affiliation with IAEE. I registered in one of the first groups, together with some of my sales team, to take the CEM Learning Program with a view to expanding my knowledge of the industry so that I could better understand our customers’ requirements, and tailor our service delivery to both meet and exceed their needs.
At the time I held the position of Director, Sales and Marketing and felt that a comprehensive knowledge of our clients’ planning process would assist our sellers in performing better site inspections, and more comprehensive sales proposals and prospecting. The courses offered over the next couple of years expanded my knowledgebase, and I had the opportunity to participate with some of our clients and suppliers, expanding my community of industry professionals across Canada and the U.S.
I felt very strongly that that the education offered through the CEM Learning Program was an important step in the growth of the industry in Canada, and I then volunteered to sit on the CEM Committee at CAEM and promote the program. This committee was an opportunity for me to become more involved in CAEM, and subsequently I joined the Finance Committee and from there, became a Board member of CAEM.
My committee and board experience has expanded to include board and executive committee roles for Meetings Mean Business Canada, Convention Centres of Canada and UFI. Many of these experiences span over my career stem from the valuable education and thought leadership I gained through initially obtaining my CEM designation and becoming involved in industry volunteerism.
Now, as General Manager of Exhibition Place (Enercare Centre), I influence my team on the benefits of earning their CEM designation. I am proud to say that fundamental to every employee’s onboarding and continuing education, obtaining their CEM designation factors in prominently. I have expanded the opportunity to earn the CEM designation to include our Sales, Event Services, Facility Services, Accounting, Transportation and Production Services teams at Exhibition Place, and presently have 24 staff who are in the process of, or have received, their CEM designation.
Having the CEM letters behind my name demonstrates to the exhibition community that I have the knowledge and expertise to contribute to the thought leadership of the global exhibition industry. The learnings I gained through the CEM Learning Program contribute to my experience and education; I apply those learnings every day in my role in venue management and in speaking opportunities around the globe.
I have maintained my CEM designation for almost 20 years, as the designation is both personally and professionally important to me. It provides a globally recognized standard of excellence and contributes to my role as a leader in the global exhibition community. I sincerely value the opportunity to join my colleagues as a lifetime CEM Emeritus.
