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A Volunteer’s Lasting Legacy: A New Incentive Certification

For Changemaker Jennifer Glynn, who launched the Certified Incentive Travel Professional program, “NO” stands for “new opportunity.”

MeetingsNet’s annual Changemaker list recognizes 20 outstanding meetings professionals for their efforts to move their organizations and the industry forward in unique and positive ways. Find all the profiles here.


Jennifer Glynn, CIS, CITP

Managing Partner
Meeting Encore and Intuitive Conferences + Events

For the creation and rollout of SITE’s new Certified Incentive Travel Professional designation



Making Change
In my volunteer role at the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence, my focus has been on raising the bar on the educational opportunities we offer to members. In this regard, I led the initiative to create and launch the Certified Incentive Travel Professional program, a brand new mid-management–level certification for the incentive travel industry. 

As a business and volunteer leader, I challenge the teams I work with to seek out new ways to deliver the value we offer clients and members.

What’s Next?
I want to continue to enhance the educational experiences available in the industry. I see education as the liberator. It opens our eyes, minds, and hearts. Knowledge really is freedom.

I also want to elevate our educational programming not only from the content side but also from the experiential side. We need to deploy different teaching methodologies to reach more learning styles—peer-to-peer learning, pop-up knowledge centers, and digital activations are some examples. Learning needs to be dynamic, engaging, and fun. We need to activate learning initiatives both in-person and online.

Managing Change
Be flexible. Be adaptable. Be dependable. The relationships you create along your journey help you when change is needed … especially last-minute change.

Best Advice
Be open to opportunities, and new opportunities will continue to present themselves.  I also heard the other day “NO” stands for “New Opportunities” and that really resonated with me.

Thinking Differently
My parents always taught me to put myself in the other person’s shoes. I think that has led me to always consider different perspectives and alternative outcomes.

Role Model
I have friends in the industry who are my “go-to” people for bouncing ideas off. I trust their opinion and know they will always challenge me to be the best version of myself. My family is also so supportive of all of my wild ideas and supports me on the next adventure. 

Advice for Peers
Peers come to me when they are looking for an honest opinion. I always like to ask the difficult questions: Have they looked at alternative perspectives? Are they being transparent in their approach?

SITE members come to me to ask how to get involved and I tell them I have met lifelong friends through volunteering. But be realistic about how much time you can volunteer. If you commit, follow through on any volunteer work; this reflects on your reputation in the industry. Don’t always volunteer for things that you know; stretch your abilities by volunteering for a committee that you want to know more about. For example, I am now leading a task force for SITE on digital transformation. I have learned more about digital in a two-day workshop with my peers than I ever would have from a book. It helps the association but also opened my eyes to ways to improve our business. I like to think my passion for SITE can be contagious.

Got a Spare Hour?
I like to get my hands dirty in the garden. I also renovate houses with my husband—it is so rewarding to be a caretaker to these old pieces of history for future owners to enjoy! Also, I enjoy playing ball with our dog, Whiskey. Sometimes I touch on all three in an hour!

BACK TO THE FULL LIST OF 2019 CHANGEMAKERS

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