Society of Government Meeting Professionals

What Society of Government Meeting Professionals does

SGMP is a U.S.-based nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1981 and headquartered in Clifton, Virginia, dedicated exclusively to individuals who plan and execute government meetings. The organization serves roughly 1,500 members across 18 chapters and 3 satellite chapters, split between government meeting planners (federal, state, and local employees, plus contract planners) and supplier members (hotels, venues, AV companies, speakers, decorators, and CVBs). Its central product is the Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP) designation, the only certification purpose-built for government meeting work, delivered in three formats (On Demand with 53 components, Virtual Synchronous via Zoom, and Live In-Person) at $649 per participant, with a 12-area Core Competency framework and a continuing education requirement of 15 hours for recertification.

Revenue is generated through individual membership dues (subscription), CGMP certification fees and micro-credential transactions (one-time), National Education Conference and chapter event registrations plus sponsorships (transactional), and online continuing-education courses (freemium with $12 non-member pricing). In 2024 SGMP launched an integrated online learning portal (learn.sgmp.org) to extend delivery beyond in-person and chapter-based channels. The organization also publishes Government Connections Magazine twice annually, operates a Career Center job board, an Online Buyers Guide, and runs the Gilmer Institute of Learning as a professional development sub-brand.

The go-to-market is community-led: members join through direct online enrollment via the MemberClicks platform, with chapter affiliation included at no incremental cost, and engagement is driven by roughly 10 chapter meetings per chapter per year, monthly live webinars, and the annual NEC. SGMP holds a strategic partnership with Meeting Professionals International (MPI) for cross-credential recognition and maintains a working reference relationship with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) for per diem rate alignment. The organization operates as a nonprofit governed by a National Board of Directors with no federal or state funding and no parent company.

Name

Society of Government Meeting Professionals

Legal name

Society of Government Meeting Professionals

Website

https://sgmp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SGMP is a U.S. nonprofit professional association founded in 1981 that serves approximately 1,500 government meeting planners and supplier members across 18 chapters. It delivers the CGMP certification, micro-credentials, continuing education, and the annual National Education Conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAANAB

Project, Program & Portfolio Management Certifications

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Certification Programs

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Government meeting certification
• Continuing professional education
• Membership networking services
• Certification training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from government meeting planners (federal, state, local) and suppliers (hotels, speakers, AV companies, decorators, CVBs). Each membership requires a single individual representative.
2. CGMP Certification: The Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP) certification course offered at $649 per participant. Includes all three formats (On Demand, Virtual Synchronous, Live In Person), digital textbook, and examination. Up to 90 days to complete with two attempts to pass the examination.
3. Event Registration and Sponsorships: Registration fees for National Education Conference and chapter events, including Florida Education Summit with early registration rates ($100 planners/$200 suppliers early, $130/$250 standard). Sponsorship opportunities at events including exhibitor tables ($300-$360), session sponsors ($500-$580), and gold sponsors ($1000-$1200).
4. Continuing Education: Individual course fees for professional development sessions. For example, Marketing: It Doesn't Have to Break Your Budget course available free for members, $12 for non-members. CGMP continuing education requires 15 hours to satisfy CGMP CE requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SGMP is a national nonprofit professional membership organization that delivers education, certification, and networking services to government meeting planners and hospitality suppliers across the United States. Its core offering centers on the Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP) certification, supplemented by an annual National Education Conference, online learning courses, micro-credentials, chapter events, and a biannual member magazine.

Product overview

The Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP) operates a membership-based professional development ecosystem centered around its CGMP (Certified Government Meeting Professional) certification program. The core offering includes the CGMP certification available in three delivery formats: On Demand (self-paced online), Virtual Synchronous (live Zoom webinars), and Live In-Person. Supporting the certification is the annual National Education Conference (NEC), the Online Learning Portal launched in 2024 featuring on-demand sessions, and monthly Live Webinars. Additional offerings include Microcredentials for competency development, the Government Connections Magazine (published twice annually), Boot Camp programs for advanced professionals, a Career Center/Job Board, and an Online Buyers Guide. The membership structure offers Planner, Supplier, and other membership types with access to 18 chapters and 3 satellite chapters across the U.S.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CGMP: Certified Government Meeting Professional - the highest designation available specifically for government meeting professionals, recognized in the hospitality industry
• Gilmer Institute of Learning
• National Education Conference (NEC)
• Government Connections Magazine

Products and services

• SGMP Membership Individual membership program for government meeting planners and hospitality suppliers, providing access to professional development, CGMP certification, the online learning portal, the National Education Conference, the Government Connections Magazine, and chapter affiliation.
• Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP) Certification The premier certification program for government meeting professionals. The CGMP designation covers 7 chapters of government-specific meeting planning content and is offered in three formats: On Demand (53 components), Virtual Synchronous (12 live event components via Zoom), and Live In-Person. Course fee is $649 per participant, includes digital textbook and examination, with up to 90 days to complete and two attempts to pass at 85% or higher.
• Online Learning Portal A fully integrated online member learning portal hosting CGMP certification content, on-demand professional development courses, micro-credentials, and continuing education aligned with 12 core competency areas.
• National Education Conference (NEC) SGMP's annual flagship in-person event featuring over 20 hours of professional development sessions, keynote speakers, an industry tradeshow, networking opportunities, a fundraising silent auction, and live CGMP classes. Includes sponsorship packages ranging from $300 (Exhibitor Table) to $1,200 (Gold Sponsor).
• Live Webinars

Quantifiable outcome

• The CGMP is recognized in the hospitality industry; many government contracts now require planners working on the contract to have their government certification
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered notable and reference.

• MPI (Meeting Professionals International)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGMP has established a partnership with MPI (Meeting Professionals International). This partnership provides mutual benefits for both organizations' members, expanding professional development opportunities and industry recognition across the meetings and events industry.
• GSA (General Services Administration)referenceOthersSGMP provides GSA Per Diem Rates as a quick link on their website, indicating alignment with federal travel and lodging reimbursement standards for government meetings. This supports government meeting planners in budget planning and compliance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SGMPHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/SGMPNation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sgmp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Society of Government Meeting Professionals