@EDUCON: Whether you’re on- or off-site during the PCMA 2011 Education Conference in Baltimore at the end of this month, you can follow @PCMAHQ on Twitter to learn what’s going on—or join the conversation by using the hashtag #PCMAEC.
‘PROM NIGHT’
The PCMA Education Foundation’s 2011 Dinner Celebrating Professional Achievement—held at theWash- ington Hilton inWashington, D.C., on April 27—was a huge success. Three pillars of the meetings industry—Gregg Talley, CAE, president and CEO of Talley Management Group; Brian Stevens, president and CEO of ConferenceDirect; and Glen Ramsborg, Ph.D., CMP,
professor at Kendall College—were honored by their peers at the gala event, which also included a silent auc- tion. (Read more about PCMA’s “prom” on Convene’s blog at http://bit.ly/kw4wjr.) Attendance at the dinner was very strong, with more than 100 tables filled—and the auction raised nearly $50,000 on-site. For photos and videos from the celebration, visitwww.pcma.org/dinner.
Mark Your Calendar
PCMA 2011 Education Conference Baltimore June 20–23
PCMA 2011 International Summit Las Vegas Oct. 13–14
Convene Forum Cancun Nov. 13–16
See You at These Industry Events
AIBTM
Baltimore June 21–23
ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition St. Louis Aug. 6–9
IMEX America Las Vegas Oct. 11–13
HEARTLAND NEWS: PCMA’s Greater Midwest Chapter has a great blog called The Pulse, updated several times a week. Check it out at www.gmcpcmablog.com.
NOMINATE EARLY AND OFTEN
Awards This Year Include Two New Categories
Nominations are open until June 30 for the 2011 PCMA Achievement and Recognition Awards. This year there are nine categories, including the new Emerging Leader and Innovation awards. Emerging Leader was created to identify and honor someone who has demonstrated extraordinary service and leadership early in his or her career, and has made exceptional overall contributions to PCMA and its membership, while Innovation was designed to help build recognition for strategic, results- focused, innovative events and programs in the meetings and hospitality industry today. For more information, or to nominate someone, visitwww.pcma.org/membership /awards-and-recognition.htm.
ALL SMILES: Southeast Chapter event participants included
(from left to right) JosephWalker;Yorke Gale; Phelps Hope, CMP; Brandon Barnes; Stacy Tichsler; and Megan Maharry.
On May 4, PCMA’s Southeast Chapter and HSMAI co-hosted an educational program called “Gaga for Global” at the 755 Club at Turner Field in Atlanta. Industry leaders led an interactive panel discussion moderated by Joseph Walker, Georgia’s director for tourism business develop- ment. The panel gave the 88 attendees valuable insight on booking andservicing international meetings andtravelers. Keys to success they shared included doing your home- work and knowing the cultures you’re dealing with; know- ing their expectations; embracing the local culture; andask- ing the right questions of area vendors. Above all, panelists emphasizedthe importance of communication, flexibility, andpatience when booking international meet- ings or attracting overseas attendees.