THE FACTS OF THE CASE: PCMA’s Certified Association Sales Executive (CASE®
START YOUR BIDDING, PART 1
The annual PCMA Education Foundation Online Silent Auction kicked off on Feb. 1, with opportunities to bid on everything from exotic vacation getaways to exciting sports and business packages—and everyone can bid, not just PCMA members, so spread the word. Proceeds raised by the Silent Auction go toward education and research initia- tives that will benefit
the meetings and convention industry. All auctions will close as of March 31. To bid or “buy now,” visit www.pcma.org/silentauction.
) Online CourseTM
can help you build stronger relationships with your association clients, by identifying trends and by enhancing your sales ability. Learn more or register atwww.pcma.org/CASE.
Mark Your Calendar
PCMA Education Foundation Dinner Celebrating Professional Achievement Washington, D.C. April 27
PCMA Education Foundation 2011 Partnership Summit Scottsdale April 30–May 3
PCMA Executive Edge Chicago (Evanston, Ill.) May 24
See You at These Industry Events
7th Annual
Pharmaceutical Meeting Management Forum Philadelphia March 27–29
IMEX 2011 Frankfurt May 24–26
AIBTM
Baltimore June 21–23
IMEX America Las Vegas Oct. 11–13
REQUIRED READING: Now is a great time to catch up with the PCMA Chairman’s Blog, (un)Conventional —which was just taken over by new PCMA Chairman Susan R. Katz. Read her inaugural blog post, about what she’ll focus on for 2011, at http://pcmachairman.blogspot.com. Look for a new entry each month!
START YOUR BIDDING, PART 2
PCMA’s fourth annual Convention Center Auction was announced last month at 2011 Convening Leaders in Las Vegas. The city and center up for bid? New Orleans, and its 1.1-million-square-foot Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
CHAPTER CORNER Come on Down!
The auction opened on Jan. 11, and will end on June 30—or whenever the million-dollar deal is bought for its “Buy It Now” price of $250,000. Regular bidding for the 10-day-max pack- age, which must be used for a meeting held between now and 2018, begins at $150,000. For more details or to register to bid, visitwww.pcma.org/conventioncenterauction.
At 2011 Convening Leaders on Jan. 12, PCMA chapter members got a chance to compete in the first-ever “Chapter Challenge Game Show.” Attendance was good, which was unsurprising given the grand (and only) prize: 30 free registrations to 2012 Convening Leaders in San Diego. The trivia challenge, with categories ranging from pop culture to PCMA history, was hosted by enthusiastic Greater Midwest Chapter member Jeff Rogers. Going into the final round, the Rocky Mountain Chapter, which had been leading for much of the game, was out in front of late challenger New York Area Chapter by just five points. But when the dust cleared, New York had pulled ahead, with a final winning score of 1,330 points. Rocky Mountain came in second with 1,268 points, with the Southeast Chapter not far behind at 1,238 points. Congrats, New York!