Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in meeting and event industry businesses adjusting their approaches, but the same is also true for industry associations. During PCMA Convening Leaders 2023 held in Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 8-11, the international association made several major announcements about acquisitions, alliances, and initiatives during the annual education and networking gathering.
PCMA and CEMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat, CAE, also revealed the association’s strategic plan that is based on four foundational pillars supported by various key initiatives.
Acquisition
PCMA has acquired the Event Leadership Institute (ELI) to continue building a portfolio of learning solutions and content. The ELI team has joined the PCMA team, and the company’s founder, Howard Givner, has been named senior vice president of knowledge and innovation and charged with leading educational innovation for the global business events industry.
Current PCMA members can immediately access ELI’s content library of 260 video modules and webinars and receive a discount on 17 certificate courses at no additional cost. ELI’s 800 members, subscribers, and business partners will become part of PCMA.
In 2020, over 700 event marketing professionals and their business partners integrated into PCMA’s global community when the organization acquired the Corporate Event Marketing Association. PCMA is building upon this audience with the acquisition of the Event Marketing Association-UK, which was founded in 2013 to serve in-house UK corporate event professionals and has more than 800 members.
Alliances
A new partnership with the American Geophysical Union (AGU), a worldwide thought-leader on climate change impact and innovation, is designed to help take sustainability beyond talk and into action. The partnership with PCMA is built on the following five tenets:
- Designing sustainable events
- Convening discussions related to risk and climate change
- Supporting the business events community with education and tools
- Harmonizing data
- Establishing goals for meaningful progress in the reduction of carbon and recognizing innovation and thought leadership in the business events industry
PCMA also has implemented a strategic alliance with the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals. Both organizations are committed to building value for their respective communities and for business event stakeholders everywhere.
Business Events Industry Week
The inaugural Business Events Industry Week (BEIW) was held in last March with more than 2,000 business event professionals in attendance. The week was established by PCMA, Destinations International, and the International Association of Exhibitions and Events after two years of restrictions on gatherings, communities, organizations, and people due to the COVID pandemic and is now an annual gathering in the Washington, D.C. area. The 2023 event is scheduled for March 7-9 at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
“We are thrilled to welcome back our co-locating partners from 2022, and to welcome those for 2023, including a collaboration with ASAE, AMC Institute, EIC, and National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals,” says Destinations International President and CEO Don Welsh.
For those who like to plan far in advance, the 2024 BEIW will take place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on April 9–11 in partnership with Events DC and Destination DC.
