CMP Fellow Spotlight: Get to Know Christine Faiman

# Profile overview

Christine Faiman brings more than three decades of experience in hospitality and meetings. Her path began after responding to a newspaper ad for a hotel role and progressed through roles that led to leadership at Marriott International. She holds the CMP Fellow distinction, awarded in April 2022.

# Career beginnings and direction

Faiman's first break came when she answered an ad and quickly received an offer after interviewing at The Madison Hotel. An early mentor at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center suggested she aim for general manager or global sales leadership. She treated that advice as a career blueprint, aligning her resume and choices to follow that path.

# CMP Fellow and certification strategy

# A difficult event: 700-person customer luncheon

Faiman's most challenging event was an annual customer luncheon with more than 700 attendees. The format was banquet-in-the-round with the stage as a runway and multiple teleprompters. Though experienced in public speaking, this configuration was new to her.

• Asked a colleague to sit by a teleprompter and provide a discreet thumbs-up as a positional cue.
• Opened remarks by acknowledging nerves and requesting audience patience in case of missteps.
• Worked with the Encore team on morning coaching to feel comfortable moving onstage and using the teleprompters.

Those concrete measures helped her present confidently and complete the event successfully.

# Advice and event rituals

Faiman's core piece of advice for event professionals is simple: listen and be completely present when spending time with someone. Her light-hearted pre/post-event ritual is to avoid the forced "Colgate smile" for at least 24 hours after an event.

# Industry focus she wants more attention on

She calls for more support for rising industry leaders, specifically through integration of AI into professional development and career pathways.

# What this profile shows for meeting professionals

Faiman's story emphasizes mentorship, deliberate career planning, community-based study habits for certification, and practical on-the-ground tactics for managing large live productions. The profile gives clear, repeatable approaches that other planners and suppliers can apply to their own careers and events.