Our inaugural August issue is full of ideas and information from around the world and closer to home. You’ll find everything from an on-site case study of the 2012 World Gas Conference in Kuala Lumpur (p. 69) to an exploration of bed taxes and special assessments around the United States (p. 61). And be sure to check out Convene’s first-ever “Best in Show” package for some of the industry’s top destinations, suppliers, and initiatives (p. 44).
At PCMA, we’re embracing globalization’s unique challenges and tremendous opportunities.
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ou don’t have to look any further than the recent election in Greece for evidence of the profoundly global world we live in. That the vote in one relatively small country could have
such a dramatic impact on North Amer- ican and global financial markets shows just how interdependent we are. At PCMA’s first-ever Global Cor-
porate Summit — held last month in Glasgow, Scotland — no one needed to be convinced of the importance of inter- national collaboration. The fluctuating economy, cultural nuances, and CSR were just a few of the hot topics for the senior global corporate meeting execu- tives in attendance from North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. The discourse was lively and informative, and it had as much to do with common challenges as with different ways of doing business around the world. The Global Corporate Summit is
just one of the ways we are stepping up our efforts to serve and connect the meetings industry across the globe. We already have an international member- ship, including three international chapters (although all of them are in North America), and typically draw Convening Leaders attendees from many different countries. Yet, there’s tremendous opportunity for our orga- nization — truly, for our members — in expanding our network globally. We can help you learn what it’s like to do business and stage meetings in different countries, and help you forge important relationships with planners and suppliers in different parts of the world. Moreover, we can unite the meetings and conventions industry with a stronger voice around the world. We’re launching what we’re calling a worldwide industry “idea exchange.”
10 PCMA CONVENE AUGUST 2012
So far this year, PCMA has been to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argen- tina, to host panel discussions with planners and suppliers in those areas on their most pressing issues. We’ve also traveled to Frankfurt, Germany, to lead education sessions at IMEX, and to Aca- pulco, Mexico, where we were invited to conduct meetings education sessions at the traditionally leisure-tourism–based Tianguis Turistico. At IMEX, we launched the Global
Meetings Executive of the Year award to recognize meeting planners who demonstrate a commitment to advanc- ing the global meetings industry. Ping He, Experient’s director of global sourcing and partner relations, was this year’s winner. (Read our interview with her on p. 32.) We’ve also joined forces with global public relations agency Davies Tanner to help us spread the word about PCMA’s education and net- working opportunities to more industry professionals around the world. In addition, we’re co-locating the PCMA Global Professionals Conference (formerly the International Summit) with IMEX America Oct. 11–12 in Las Vegas and also hosting buyers at IMEX America. For more information, check out convn.org/gp-conf. How can PCMA assist in your global efforts? I’d love to hear from you.