Core Competency: Ethics
The domain of Ethics includes content in the areas of conduct, conflicts of interest, FAM trips, frequent flier miles and hotel rewards, funding, procurement, relationships with a prohibited source, spending appropriated funds, special events and vendor selection, and the Washington Post Test. View each subdomain below; the bold text shows each subdomain's alignment with EIC domains.
- Government employees, contractors and suppliers need to be aware of the boundaries, guidelines, and policies that apply to government meeting professionals. Applying ethical boundaries in decision-making is very important to protect the meeting professional and their agency or organization.
Domain A: Strategic Planning
- Good preparation and doing the right thing are a critical element in event planning. Knowing how to position the American flag as well as who is introduced to whom, gifts, etc. are critical.
Domain A: Strategic Planning
- Code of Conduct: The Code of Conduct outlines specific guidelines that are required or prohibited when conducting government business.
Domain A: Strategic Planning, Domain H: Site Management
- Conflict of interest: Understanding situations in which favors are given or someone acts in their own self-interest instead of the organization.
Domain A: Strategic Planning, Domain G: Meeting or Event Design
- Familiarization Trips: Hosted trips offered by destinations or suppliers to interest potential clients in their location. Ethics and protocol apply to both sides.
Domain H: Site Management
- Frequent Flier Miles and Hotel Rewards: The acceptable procedure for collecting miles, points, and rewards.
Domain D: Financial Management
- Funding: The proper and ethical way to receive funding for meetings, conferences, and events.
Domain D: Financial Management
- Guest Programs (Spouse, Children): The correct applications when offering guest programs.
Domain G: Meeting or Event Design
- Manners / Etiquette – only one program under this topic per year. Good manners and etiquette are the rules for talking, acting, and conducting business.
Domain E: Human Resources
- Procurement: The act of securing goods and services on behalf of a government agency, which may involve prohibited sources. See also Financial and Contract Management
Domain B: Project Management
- Relationships with a Prohibited Source: Identifying a person or an organization who is seeking official action, is doing business, or seeking to do business with.
Domain D: Financial Management
- Spending Appropriated Funds: The method for funding programs with expenses that are reasonably related to the accomplishment the purposes of the event.
Domain D: Financial Management
- Washington Post Test: Would you want your event on the cover of the Washington Post?
Domain G: Meeting or Event Design
- Working with the Military: Understanding the Code of Conduct as it relates to working with military groups.
Domain E: Human Resources
Ethics Courses
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Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
We often learn about ethical decision making in a nice little prepackaged ethical dilemma. But unfortunately, real life doesn’t label the difficult moral questions we face every day as ethical dilemmas so we can apply all those handy decision-making skills we learned in our ethics training. It doesn’t matter how good you are at resolving ethical dilemmas if you never even realize there’s a problem that needs solved. While still fun and entertaining, The Morality Matrix is a highly educational presentation that digs deep into providing participants with the hard and soft skills required habituate ethical behavior.
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- Non-member - $12
- Member - Free!
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Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
The term ethics may have you thinking about right and wrong, rules and compliance, consequences and fairness, or choices. But have you considered all that gray area and the value of doing the right thing, every time? In this session we’ll explore how our personal standards are built, reflect on the difficult truth that others have their own set of ethical standards, and we'll discover the business case for ethics.
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- Non-member - $12
- Member - Free!
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Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
Learn about ethical issues for the events industry with Phyllis Mikolaitis.
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- Non-member - $12
- Member - Free!
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Get Certified
Become a Government Meetings Expert
The Certified Government Meeting Professional designation ("CGMP") is designed for planners and suppliers whose work is governed by the rules and regulations of the federal government. Individuals who have earned their CGMP have obtained the highest designation available that is specifically for government meeting professionals. The CGMP is recognized in the hospitality industry; many government contracts now require planners working on the contract have their government certification.
The CGMP course is offered in 3 formats – Live (in person), Virtual Synchronous (via Zoom webinar), and On-Demand.
Earn CEUs
Continuing Education
SGMP's continuing education program aligns with many other CE programs, offering you maximum credit across multiple domains. Each domain of professional development and continuing education is assigned to one of twelve (12) core competencies integral to the daily work of the government meeting professional. Earn the fifteen (15) hours required to satisfy your CGMP CE requirements, and the requirements of many other programs such as the CMP.
