Ilene Reinhart
This summer, the Association of
Destination Management Executives, based in Dayton, Ohio,
inaugurated a new accreditation program for destination management
firms.
The Accredited Destina-tion Management
Company program is a first for the DMC industry; previously,
professionals in the field could obtain the Destination Management
Certified Pro-fessional (launched in 2002) certification from ADME;
the new credential is for businesses.
Criteria for the accreditation is based
on a number of factors, including the stability of the company,
commitment to the DMC industry and service levels to clients.
Applicants are reviewed and approved by a commission of DMC and
industry professionals, and the cost is $800.
At press time, ADME had received 41
applications from DMCs; the deadline for the initial group, which
will earn a Charter Accreditation designation, was Sept. 30.
According to ADME president Ilene
Reinhart, DMCP, CMP, the certification can be a real boon. “We hope
this will bring more business to DMCs. It will be especially
helpful from a procurement standpoint: They will know that
accredited companies already have risk management and insurance in
place and that they are working with an established office.”
According to Fran Rickenbach, ADME’s
executive vice president, the new program is generating buzz in the
industry. “Already one of our members reported they had a corporate
client ask them on a site inspection if they plan to become
accredited,” she said.
Another anticipated plus of the ADMC,
according to Rickenbach, will be an increase in the number of
members applying for the DMCP certification, as each firm that
applies for the new credential is required to have at least one
professional on their staff who holds the earlier one.