William H. Just played a defining role in shaping the modern meetings and conventions profession, most notably through his creation of the Association for Convention Marketing Executives—an organization that would evolve into today’s Convention Sales Professionals International (CSPI). When he founded ACME in 1990, he recognized a gap in the industry: convention sales professionals lacked a dedicated community to elevate their skills, share best practices, and strengthen the global impact of destination marketing. His vision established a professional home that continues to influence how cities, venues, and sales teams collaborate with meeting planners around the world.
His leadership extended far beyond association building. Bill was a founding architect of the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) program, one of the industry’s most enduring and influential credentials. He helped conduct the first competency survey, shaped the original CMP “blueprint,” hired the testing firm, wrote exam items, and remained deeply involved for years. His commitment to the CMP program was not theoretical—he personally mentored and taught hundreds of candidates, and even developed a full day CMP preparation program for ACOM members that significantly increased their certification success. Through this work, he strengthened the profession’s standards, ethics, and body of knowledge, helping elevate meeting management into a recognized discipline.
Bill’s influence also reached into the operational side of the industry. In 1988 he founded the Association for Convention Operations Management (ACOM, now the Event Service Professionals Association), the first organization dedicated to convention services managers. Together, ACOM and ACME/CSPI created a more unified, professionalized ecosystem for both the sales and services sides of the convention world—an achievement that continues to shape how destinations support meetings today.
His service to industry organizations was equally distinguished. As Chair of the CMP Board, he oversaw a period of significant program growth. His leadership roles within PCMA—including chairing the Education Committee, where he helped develop the core competency outline that became the foundation of the Professional Meeting Management textbook—further expanded his impact. He was also an active member of ASAE, PCMA, and the Georgia Society of Association Executives, contributing his time and expertise with unwavering dedication.
Even after retirement, Bill’s generosity of spirit continued through his volunteer work with the Atlanta Humane Society’s Pet Therapy Program. His kindness, gratitude, and humanity left a lasting impression on everyone he encountered.
William H. Just’s legacy lives on in the associations he built, the CMP program he helped shape, and the countless professionals he mentored. His creation of ACME—now CSPI—remains a cornerstone of his contributions, ensuring that convention sales professionals have a strong, vibrant community dedicated to excellence and collaboration.