Years ago in my career, I had the incredible opportunity to become involved with the International Association of Exhibitions and Events® (IAEE) and pursue my Certified in Exhibition Management® (CEM) designation while working with a General Service Contractor (GSC) on the supplier side of the events industry. At the time, many of the CEM courses didn’t feel directly relevant to my day-to-day responsibilities. My role was operational and logistics-focused, and some of the curriculum topics seemed more applicable to show organizers or association professionals. However, I made the conscious decision to select courses that would help me better understand the broader industry landscape and, more importantly, the challenges my clients were facing on their side of the business.
I believed that the more I could learn about what my clients were dealing with – be it site selection, risk management, marketing, or housing – the more effective and empathetic I would be in my own role. I never wanted to be the supplier who “just didn’t get it.” Instead, I aimed to be the kind of partner who truly understood the pressure points, needs, and constraints clients worked under. At the time, I was absolutely certain that I would be a lifer in my company and role. I was comfortable, passionate, and felt firmly planted in my path.
Then, like for so many of us, everything changed with the arrival of the global pandemic. The events industry came to a sudden and painful halt, and it forced many of us to re-evaluate our career trajectories. While I still deeply loved the industry, I realized I was ready to explore something new. As the industry slowly began to recover, I found myself reflecting on the connections and relationships I had built over the years, particularly through my involvement with my local IAEE Chapter. Those relationships turned out to be invaluable, and they ultimately led me to an exciting new opportunity with an association management company.
In this new role, I essentially became the client – the person I had spent years supporting and striving to understand. It was a full-circle moment that validated the effort I had invested in those earlier CEM courses. Suddenly, all those topics that once felt unrelated – marketing, registration, site selection, housing, and risk management – became not only relevant but essential to my everyday responsibilities.
I now love this “new” chapter in my career, one that still exists within the events industry I’ve always been passionate about. Maintaining my CEM certification continues to be a priority for me, and I’m proud to say I will uphold it for years to come.
