TABLE TALK: Summit participants had plenty of opportunities to learn from each other. Discussions spilled over into animated dinnertime conversations at two bright lights—Mildred’s Temple Kitchen (below) and Brassaii Restaurant—of Toronto’s vibrant restaurant scene.
PCMA International Summit Covers a Lot of Ground
More than 60 global meetings industry professionals gathered in Toronto for high-level discussions on how to conduct business in the global marketplace.
the program was heavy on interaction. Participants collaborated on strategies to successfully plan events in destinations around the world. The summit, generously supported by Tourism Toronto and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, benefited from the efforts of the 24-member PCMA International Task Force, chaired by Claire Smith, CMP, Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, and PCMA International Summit Chair Daniella Crawley, business development director for Marketing Challenges International. Keynote speaker GeneQuinn, chairman of PhoCusWright and
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CEO of Tnooz, kicked things off on Thursday afternoon, impress- ing upon the group social media and technology’s impact on inter- nationalmeetings.He provided case studies of organizations that have created apps for smartphones at their meetings. On Friday morning, speaker Maureen Douglas drew on her
experience as director of communications and community rela- tions for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and ParalympicWinter Games to help participants cre- ate a crisis plan. Roundtable discussions followed, with each table assigned to tackling different crisis scenarios during ameeting, including food poisoning, the death of the organization’s COO, on-site flooding,an air-traffic-control strike, a political riot,and an ash cloud. Participantswho had firsthand experience in dealing with these emergencies had great advice to share. That afternoon, York University associate professor Alexan-
HILE THE PCMA INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT—HELD Sept. 23–25 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto— featured a variety of speakers on a range of topics,
dra Campbell, Ph.D., facilitated an interactive session designed to improve participants’ skills in negotiating with people from different cultures. Participants learned best practices for con- ducting meetings outside North America from each other. One attendee recommended the Culture Smart series of pocket- sized, concise guides to customs and etiquette (www.culture smartconsulting.com). Friday evening,guests were treated to a rockin’ Rock ofAges
performance at the Royal Alexander Theatre. The energy level stayed high on Saturdaymorning,when the summit concluded with husband-and-wife team Dr. Uche Odiatu and Kary Odiatu’s presentation on “Survival Strategies for RoadWarriors.” For road warrior Ben Goedegebuure, director of sales for the
“As the founding sponsor of the International Summit, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and Tourism Toronto is delighted that our collaborative partnership with PCMA continues to add exceptional value to its members. This year’s program delivered strategically ori- ented education essential to staging successful global meetings, in addition to offering a remarkable peer-to- peer learning environment.”—Tara Gordon, vice president, meeting and convention sales,Tourism Toronto
Scottish Exhibition + Convention Centre (SECC)—who traveled from Scotland to attend the summit—the experience was worth the trip. “The International Summit was an excellent event for us and underlines the valuePCMAhas for businesses like ours,who value the NorthAmerican market,”he said.“Wewere delighted to get a request for proposal out of the event, again underlining the tangible business benefit the summit brought us as well as the excellent relationships we were able to build and maintain.” The 2011 International Summit will be co-located with IMEX America in Las Vegas, Oct. 13–14.
—Michelle Russell
ON_THE_WEB: Video and synched PowerPoint content from the PCMA International Summit is available for free to both attendees and non-attendees at the PCMA Live Learning Center:www.softconference.com/pcma/slist.asp?C=3889.