HOW TO GET CERTIFIED
The more you know, and the more you can prove you know, the better ROI you can provide to your employer or prospective employer, the more you can improve your company’s bottom line, and the better you can position yourself in your chosen discipline.
HSMAI introduced certification for hotel sales professionals nearly thirty years ago. Today, HSMAI offers training and certification in several disciplines, including digital marketing, revenue management, business acumen, and sales leadership.
Applying for a certification is a two-part process in which you must complete the application to demonstrate your eligibility (minimum points: 50), and then pass an online exam.
Learn more about earning the points you need to qualify.
Experience Required:
- For the Certified Hotel Sales Leader (CHSL) – An applicant must have a minimum of two years of experience in hospitality sales, with the responsibilities and job title to reflect that.
- For the Certified Revenue Management Executive (CRME) – An applicant must have a minimum of one year of experience in hospitality revenue management, with the responsibilities to reflect that.
- For the Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer (CHDM) – An applicant must have a minimum of one year of experience in hospitality digital marketing or related hospitality responsibilities.
- For the Certified in Hospitality Business Acumen (CHBA) or Certified Revenue Management Analyst (CRMA) – There are no prerequisites and no application for these certifications. An applicant can simply register, pay, and proceed with the self-paced course.
HOW TO EARN CPD POINTS TOWARDS CERTIFICATION
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINTS
You may claim points for actual clock time of qualifying professional development coursework up to 8 credits per day. For example, 1½ hours of qualifying education equals 1.5 CPD points. All professional development education is acceptable as long as it is directly related to the relevant Certification if you wish to apply for. Acceptable professional development education include conferences, workshops, seminars, or classes offered by:
• HSMAI
• Brands or management companies
• Other hospitality industry-specific organizations (e.g., HEDNA, HFTP)
• Other education providers (e.g., Google, TripAdvisor, service providers)
HSMAI “Certificate in Revenue Management (Hospitality)” or “Certificate in Digital Marketing (Hospitality)” will earn you 30 points.
HSMAI Academy Short Courses will earn you 1-3 points.
Find point-earning non-academic coursework opportunities at:
- https://global.hsmai.org/events/
- https://academy.hsmai.org
- https://academy.hsmai.org/insights-hub/
- https://americas.hsmai.org/events/conference-videos/
The following are NOT eligible for CPD Points for application or recertification credit:
• General software/training courses
• Expo hall hours
• Networking receptions
• Breaks between educational sessions
• Product-specific promotional demonstrations
CPD POINTS FOR ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
You may claim points for other certifications that you hold within the hospitality industry including:
• Certified Revenue Management Executive (CRME) – 5 points
• Certified in Hospitality Business Acumen (CHBA) – 5 points
• Certified Revenue Management Analyst (CRMA) – 5 points
• Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer (CHDM) – 5 points
• Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) – 5 points
• Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) – 5 points
• For the CHDM, you may also claim 5 points per digital marketing certification, including but not limited to:
Google AdWords Certification; SEO Certification; Omniture Certification; and, eMarketer certifications.
INDUSTRY SUPPORT ACTIVITIES
Membership in an Industry Association
- Member of HSMAI – 2 points per year
- Member of another hospitality industry association – 1 point per year
- Present at industry programs and meetings – 1 point per presentation
- Author a published article on digital marketing – 1 point per article
- Be published in an academic, peer-reviewed journal – 3 points per article
Leadership in an Industry Organization
• Member of HSMAI Executive Committee or Board at the Regional or Global level – 10 points
• President of an HSMAI professional chapter – 10 points
• President of an HSMAI collegiate chapter – 5 points
• Other officer or director of an HSMAI chapter – 5 points per year served
• HSMAI chapter committee member – 2 points per year served
• HSMAI Advisory Board member – 5 points per year served
• Officer or committee chair of another hospitality industry association – 1 point per year
HIGHER EDUCATION COURSEWORK
• Post-graduate Hospitality or Business Administration degree (e.g., MA, MBA, MS, PhD) – 30 points
• Post-graduate degree, other than Hospitality or Business Administration – 20 points
• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Administration – 40 points
• Bachelor’s degree, other than in Hospitality Administration – 30points
• Associate’s degree in Hospitality Administration – 20 points
• Associate’s degree, other than in Hospitality Administration – 10points
• College-level professional development digital marketing course – 1 point per completed course
DO YOU STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Learn more about earning the points to qualify for the certification by contacting HSMAI.
