Every year, 20 young meetings industry leaders are selected to be a part of the global business events association PCMA’s “20 in Their Twenties” program, which honors emerging professionals who demonstrate leadership, innovation, and a commitment to the events community. This year, PCMA honored six Northeast-based professionals, along with 14 others from elsewhere, at the 2026 Convening Leaders conference held in January in Philadelphia:
Rilee Bradshaw, Client Relationship Manager, The Freeman Co. (headquartered in Dallas, Texas)
Katie Croy, Manager of Exhibit and Sponsorship Sales Manager, RE+ Events (headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia)
Jaden DiMeo, Event Coordinator, Events DC (headquartered in Washington, D.C.)
Kaitlin Payne, Meetings and Events Manager, National Association of
Convenience Stores (headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia)
Rachel Smith, Senior Associate of Marketing and Communications, Quantum Computing Inc. (headquartered in Hoboken, New Jersey)
Blake Waravdekar, Meeting Planner, Association of American Medical Colleges (headquartered in Washington, D.C.)
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