EVEN IN YOUR PJs: You can get great education at any time at PCMA 365 (www.pcma365.org), where you can watch on-demand webinars on such topics as CSR, and live sessions such as “Creating a Memorable International Meeting Experience,” to be held Nov. 10.
HIT THE (DIGITAL) BOOKS
Are you preparing to invest in your career by sitting for the CMP Exam, which will be held in conjunction with PCMA 2012 Convening Leaders on Saturday, Jan. 7, in San Diego? The Convention Industry Council (CIC) has endorsed PCMA’s CMP®
Exam Online Prep™ Course as the only offi-
cial online course to help you prepare. It’s the most com- prehensive and effective online study tool—98 percent of those who complete the course pass the CMP Exam on their first attempt. “The amount of study material is intimi- dating, and without having the outlined study plan from PCMA, I would have been lost,” said Brenda C. Park, CMP, of Park-Way Meetings. “The assessment, pre-test, and post- tests really helped me concentrate on my weak areas.” To apply for the CMP Exam in San Diego, or to register for PCMA’s Online Prep Course, visitwww.pcma.org/cmp.
Association Forum Holiday Showcase 2011 Chicago Dec. 15
CEUs FOR YOU: Similar to PCMA’s ultra-convenient CMP Exam Online Prep Course (see above), there are many ways to obtain CEU credits for your CMP certification or re-certification. One of our favorite ways is (naturally) Convene’s very own CMP (Certification Made Possible) Series. Visit http://bit.ly/ijkLaE for full details.
KEEPING AN EYE ON THE HORIZON
The ASAE Foundation, the Exhibition Industry Foundation, Freeman, Gaylord Entertainment, and the PCMA Education Foundation have joined together to fund a unique industry project called Future Focus. In collabo- ration with Insight Labs and Manifest Digital, Future Focus will help predict and plan for the future of conven- tion exhibits and trade shows. Given that the initial exhibit and trade-show model was built before the rise of the Internet, email,
Google, and social media—and the expectation of instant gratification—this elite industry group is in agree- ment that, without significant change, a perfect storm is brewing for the future of exhibits. Thus, “the convention exhibits and trade shows professional needs new options,” said PCMA President and CEO Deborah Sexton. To learn more about Future Focus, visit http://where doesthefuturemeet.com.
www.pcma.org pcmaconvene November 2011 11 BETTER THAN ONE
On Sept. 14, PCMA’s Pacific Northwest Chapter and MPI’sWashington State Chapter joined together to host the 10th Annual Meetings Industry Summit, at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue,Wash. Attended by more than 240 partici- pants from nine states, the event (see below) focused on “navigating change,” and included sessions on state-level trav- el and tourism updates, legal issues related to evolving meet- ings industry technology, sales-process ramifications of social media, and more. The summit had its own mobile app spon- sored by Unsocial, and kicked off with a reception and bowling at Lucky Strike Bellevue, with music from local foursome Sunny4Cast. Said Pacific Northwest board member Cindi Newell-Timmons: “What a great way to start the summit!”