Daphne Bryant, executive director, GBTA Foundation said, "The SMM Maturity Index will drive the meetings industry forward by bringing invaluable know-how to organizations at every step along the path toward a best in class program. We're excited to build on the success of the SMM Maturity Model to launch the next evolution of this essential industry framework."

The SMM Maturity Index will help companies gauge the progress of their SMMP across thirteen categories including: Strategy, Data Analysis and Reporting, Policy, Approval, Technology, Sourcing/Procurement, and more. Recognizing that each SMMP is as unique as the organization which implements it, the SMM Maturity Index takes differing approaches into consideration and is based on best in class models.

"Having been there for the earliest beginnings of the strategic meetings management profession, it is inspiring to see how far we've come with the creation of a new tool that will further standardize best practices and help companies achieve great SMMP results," said Kevin Iwamoto, vice president of Enterprise Strategy, StarCite. "Companies will benefit tremendously from the clear guidance and benchmarks the Index provides."

The SMM Maturity Index debuted at the 2011 GBTA International Convention & Exposition. As part of the unveiling of the Index, GBTA SMM Taskforce members Kari (Kessler) Wendell and Linda McNairy will co-host a live demo of the SMM Maturity Index during a session at 9:00 AM MT in room #104. Terri Clay from the American Cancer Society and Terry Miller from Eli Lilly & Company will participate in the session and have scored their programs on the new SMM Maturity Index. GBTA Convention attendees will also be able to demo the SMM Maturity Index at the GBTA and StarCite booths. [GBTA Booths: # 1575, i5; StarCite Booth # 1205]