The Chicago-based Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) Convening Leaders 2026 conference wrapped in mid-January after bringing 4,211 business event professionals together at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia for four days of networking, education, and more. This year’s host location brought the organization back to its roots for its 70th anniversary—PCMA was founded in Philadelphia in 1956.
“Convening Leaders 2026 was a powerful reflection of who we are and where we are headed as global community,” says Sherrif Karamat, president and CEO of PCMA, in a prepared statement. “As we honored our legacy, elevated new voices, and celebrated those shaping what’s next, one message was clear—business events are not just about convening—they are about leadership, trust, and solving complex challenges that advance us all. We are committed to challenging conventional thinking, innovation, immersive learning, experimentation, and real business connections that propel people, organizations, and communities forward.”
To help commemorate PCMA’s 70th anniversary, Karamat, along with outgoing PCMA chair Neil Brownlee and Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Gregg Caren, sported kilts on the main stage made with the official PCMA tartan fabric created by the British royal family’s kiltmakers, Kinloch Anderson of Edinburgh, Scotland. Thread counts within the tartan cloth include the numbers 70, 20, and 26, representing the anniversary, as well as Convening Leaders 2026. Its colors reflect PMCA’s new branding, containing royal purple, beet red, and light gray.
Other conference highlights included the presentation of the 2026 Board Chair Award to Ben Goedegebuure, the first European PCMA board member; a tribute to past leaders, volunteers, and visionaries as part of PCMA’s “Always A Leader” program; the introduction of this year’s class of leaders in the “20 in Their Twenties” program, which celebrates rising professionals driving meaningful change; and the reveal of the 2026 Visionary Awards Lifetime Honorees and Finalists, among others. The event also produced several successful charitable efforts, such as a blood drive facilitated by the American Red Cross (a first at Convening Leaders) that surpassed its goal by collecting 34 units of blood.
Convening Leaders 2027 will take place in Miami Beach, Florida, from Jan. 10 to 13 next year at the Miami Beach Convention Center. To close out this year’s event, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO David Whitaker and Senior Vice President of Convention Sales and Service Carol Motley, as well as Miami Beach Convention Center General Manager Freddie Peterson, took to the main stage to kick off the next several months of planning before Miami-based jazz, soul, and contemporary artist Nicole Henry performed a powerful ending tune.
