Let’s continue to reinvent our meetings so that they are seen as must-attend events.
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More on Tap We continue to work closely with other industry groups to unite our voices, promote the economic impact and intrinsic value of face-to-face meetings, and fund critical research through the PCMA Education Foundation. In the near future, we’ll join forces for a follow-up Meeting Planner Intentions Survey (to measure the impact of the current economic/media environment), an updated Economic Significance Study, and a messaging project, completed through the Convention Industry Council. Stay tuned for details.
ave you been to a movie theater lately? Many theaters are trying to improve the viewing experience with imax, 3-D, recliner-style chairs, reserved seating, and upgraded food
and drink options. Some even offer full-service restaurants and bars. How about an NFL game? You’ll find even more JumboTrons showing replays and original content, better concessions, and a whole array of off-the-field activi- ties — often geared toward families — designed to enhance the fan experience. Faced with the challenges of our
Taking a page from movie theaters and the NFL.
cost-conscious, technology-driven society, the movie-theater and sports industries are taking steps to reevalu- ate and modernize their value proposi- tions. And that’s why the U.S. Travel Association featured them recently in a white paper (convn.org/ustravelwp) on setting a national agenda for the meetings industry. Much like going to a movie
theater or a sports arena, some may view attending a face-to- face meeting as a “nice-to-do,” not a “must-do.” And with ris- ing pressure to cut travel and
meeting costs — not to mention new technologies that are making it easier to connect remotely — we must con- tinually reinvent our meetings. It’s a daunting task for sure, espe-
cially when so many of you are wres- tling with ever-growing to-do lists and increasing responsibilities on a daily basis. To help you hit the challenges head-on, we’ve recruited some of the best new thinkers out there to join us at the pcma Education Conference, June 10–13 in San Antonio, to challenge us with new approaches to strategic lead- ership and innovation.
10 PCMA CONVENE MAY 2012
Featured speakers include Mark Scharenbroich, the creator of the “Nice Bike” principle, and Michael Rogers, who got his start writing for Rolling Stone, then moved on to run new media at The Washington Post before becom- ing “The Practical Futurist.” Smith- Bucklin President & CEO Henry Givray will speak about authentic leadership, and Dr. Jackie Freiberg will help par- ticipants rethink innovation, turning what many find is a tired cliché into a powerful competitive advantage. Convene interviewed all of these
speakers to give you a sense of what’s in store for Education Conference partici- pants. (Read our interview with Givray in last month’s issue at convn.org/ henrygivray.) Turn to p. 73 to read how Rogers relates the current relationship between physical and virtual meetings to his experience in the print and online media world, why Scharenbroich brings his audiences back to their first day of junior high school, and Freiberg’s tips on innovating, which she says happens “when we ‘what if’ possible challenges to life, instead of ‘yeah, but’ them to death.” I hope you’ll join us at the Education Conference as we explore how to adapt our current ways of thinking to create an even stronger tomorrow. Learn more at pcma.org.