VEI Certifies First Digital Event Strategists at PCMA Convening Leaders

Pleasanton, CA – January 30, 2013. The Virtual Edge Institute®, today announced that two veteran planners sat for, and passed, their final exams during PCMA’s Convening Leaders Annual Meeting in Orlando, January 13, 2013, to become VEI’s first certified Digital Event Strategists in the industry.

JoAnn Klinedinst, Vice President of Professional Development for Chicago-based Healthcare Information and Management System (HIMMS) and Rick Naylor, President and CEO of meeting and events production company, Accucom Corporate Communications, in Toronto, both fast-tracked the 16-module online learning courses in which they enrolled in late October, in order to prepare for 2013 initiatives. “The demand for education specifically on digital events is great, so we’re not surprised at the speed at which some students are pacing through the modules,” says VEI Executive Director, Michael Doyle. “Several others are nearing completion and will soon sit for their exams, as well.”

Created to address the growing need of associations, marketers and event and learning practitioners to understand how to successfully plan, design, build and execute digital engagements and environments that achieve strategic business objectives, the Digital Event Strategist Certification program launched in late 2011. There are currently 53 students enrolled in the program, with another 50 preparing for entrance.

“The content of the DES program is phenomenal,” says Klinedinst, who holds two other industry certifications, as well. “It’s a tremendous body of knowledge. And I just can’t say enough about the instructors and the quality of the resource material that’s part of the program.”

“Digital events are not a fad,” says Naylor. “I feel like they’re becoming an expectation. I’ve got clients asking about the technology. So I was motivated to learn. The DES program has a lot of great information, and I was surprised that I didn’t know as much as I thought. I’ve already been streaming content at my events. But I was floored by how far some of the corporate events have taken digital.”

Industry leaders Freeman (www.freemanco.com) and bxb Online (www.bxbonline.com) have partnered with VEI to offer scholarships to cover the full fees for those meeting the posted criteria. Certification fees include a $175 application fee, $595 for modules and $325 for the final exam.

The DES Certification program is housed within VEI’s online learning portal – Digital U – providing students with access to online study materials, and accessible via mobile devices for convenience and to explore the mobile content experience. Digital U also houses a multimedia library of educational content, including over 90 hours of video recordings from past Virtual Edge Summits.

The Digital Event Strategist Certification is designed for individuals in associations, corporations, government and academia. VEI is currently accepting applications for both the DES program and scholarships for its second class of students through Jan 31, 2013. For more information, and to find application and scholarship forms, visit www.digitaleventstrategist.org.

Current students enrolled in the DES program include those from the National Association of Broadcasters, International Society for Stem Cell Research, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, RSNA, American College of Emergency Physicians, Cisco, Institute of Food Technologists, National Science Foundation, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Microsoft, US & Canadian Academy of Pathology, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and PricewaterhouseCoopers, among others.

Media Contacts:

Virtual Edge Institute®

Donna Sanford | dsanford@virtualedge.org

925.600.1001

About Virtual Edge Institute®

The Virtual Edge Institute® (VEI) is an international organization dedicated to advancing engagement around events, meetings, learning and marketing programs through technology. VEI supports and contributes to research, education, thought leadership, promotion, and professional networking. VEI also produces the Digital Event Strategist® educational program and accompanying DES Certification designation. For more information, visit http://www.virtualedgeinstitute.com or engage365.org.

Mailing Address: 340 Mullin Court, Pleasanton, CA 94566 / Phone: (925) 600-1001 / email: info@virtualedge.org

This release was published on openPR.