



View Friday, January 9, 2009's Sessions
Are you planning to take the CMP® Examination in New Orleans on Saturday, January 10? If so, this is the prep course for you! The CMP® CRAM Course offers an interactive, efficient and effective review that is designed to achieve results. Before the Annual Meeting, PCMA will e-mail you a Self-Assessment Inventory. Make sure to complete the inventory prior to January 5th as facilitators will use that assessment to customize a battery of questions based on the overall scores of course attendees. This session is not designed to teach you content, but rather to help you prepare psychologically and answer any burning questions.
Note: Session is limited to the first 50 registrants. Pre-registration and an additional fee are required. Each participant should have purchased and read, in advance of the CMP® CRAM Course, the CIC recommended books. For your convenience, PCMA has packaged these publications together for one low price in The Ultimate Study Package.
Amanda S. Rushing CMP, Director of Conferences & Meeting Services, American Society of Civil Engineers
Mary Beth Walsh CMP, Professor, Moraine Valley Community College
View Saturday, January 10, 2009's Sessions
PCMA has developed an all new, hands-on program led by Professor Deepak Malhotra of Harvard Business School and specifically geared towards leaders of the meetings and convention industry. Discover how to refine your negotiation skills, audit “gut instinct” reactions, and apply more effective strategies when the stakes are high and success is critical.
Note: Session is limited to the first 75 registrants. Pre-registration and an additional fee are required.
Deepak Malhotra, , Harvard Business School
NEW! For the first time, the Convention Industry Council has scheduled a CMP® Examination in conjunction with the PCMA Annual Meeting. Select New Orleans as your CMP® Examination location and plan to stay for the PCMA Annual Meeting. You must follow CIC’s process in order to sit for this exam. Please see the CIC website for more details. To help you prepare for the exam, take the PCMA CMP® Online Prep course in advance and don’t miss the CMP® CRAM Course on Friday, January 9th at the Annual Meeting.
Have you ever thought of becoming a facilitator for a CMP® study group? This session will give you all the tools you need! Explore how to best prepare your group to sit for the CMP® Examination when you utilize the PCMA CMP® Study Course™. Blend the most up-to-date resources, face-to-face interaction and online testing to provide your group with the information they need to succeed. Discover how you can adapt the PCMA CMP® Study Course™ to your style of group study.
Note: You must have your CMP® designation in order to participate. Session is limited to the first 30 registrants. Pre-registration and an additional fee are required.
Amanda S. Rushing CMP, Director of Conferences & Meeting Services, American Society of Civil Engineers
Amanda Cecil PhD CMP, Assistant Professor, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
View Sunday, January 11, 2009's Sessions
Beginning with a breakfast with the Board of Directors, Those involved in chapter leadership/volunteerism will enjoy some one-on-one time with the leadership of PCMA. PCMA leadership will identify the strategic direction of the organization and will include time for a question and answer session. Following a short break, Chapter Leaders will be broken up into different groups to discuss the most pressing issues facing chapters today. The day will conclude when everyone reconvenes and explores how to take the brilliant ideas you heard from each chapter to create an actionable plan to take back to your chapter.
Note: If you are interested in participating in Hospitality Helping Hands, the chapter program WILL finish in time. Please indicate your interest on the registration form.
Dolores Bopp Potterton, ,
When deciding on the perfect location to hold an exhibition, many factors must be considered. Discover the importance of site selection to the overall exhibition management function, the assets and liabilities of using various exhibition sites, and how to develop a basic site proposal for any type of facility or location. In addition, defining event needs and facility/destination requirements will be covered.
Note: Session is limited to the first 40 registrants. Pre-registration and an additional fee are required.
Cindy Ferguson CEM, Director of Marketing, Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
You never know when you will be faced with a crisis at a major event and failure to prepare could have a devastating impact. This course will present real-world crisis situations and discuss the type of plan needed to resolve potential crises. Discover how you can react and plan for any situation.
Note: Session is limited to the first 40 registrants. Pre-registration and an additional fee are required.
Al Lomas CMP,CMM,CFE, CEM, National Sales Representative, Historic Sunset Station
Full-time and adjunct faculty members are encouraged to participate in this trend-setting workshop which will continue its work into the coming months. This day-long workshop is focused on developming a model curriculum based on core-competencies in meeting management for programs that may have only one course to a program with multiple meeting management courses. The group interaction will develop a template with identified core-competencies at the various curriculum formats and learning opportunities. The group will continue their work over the coming months to output a model curriculum to serve the industry and to ensure students coming into the industry will meet the basic requirements, depending on the type of program they graduate from.
Deborah Breiter PhD, CFH & LA Professor, Convention & Conference Management, University of Central Florida, Rosen School of Hospitality Mgmt
Amanda Cecil PhD CMP, Assistant Professor, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
William R. Host Jr. CMP, Assistant Professor, Roosevelt University
Sheryl F. Kline PhD, Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina
PCMA has developed an all new, hands-on program led by Professor Deepak Malhotra of Harvard Business School and specifically geared towards leaders of the meetings and convention industry. Discover how to refine your negotiation skills, audit “gut instinct” reactions, and apply more effective strategies when the stakes are high and success is critical.
Note: Session is limited to the first 75 registrants. Pre-registration and an additional fee are required.
Deepak Malhotra, , Harvard Business School
The PCMA Student Union is a dynamic forum tailored to students interested in meetings and hospitality careers. In this fun and interactive pre-conference program, develop and enhance contacts with industry professionals, hone your networking skills, and discover how to find and keep your first job, your next job, and/or your perfect job.
Note: Whether you are a first time PCMA student participant or returning for another opportunity to learn and grow, we will strive to meet your needs to help you get the most out of the PCMA Student Union. Connect via PCMA’s page on Facebook and start the conversation before the Annual Meeting to ensure that the on-site session addresses your unique interests, concerns, and questions. See you online!
L(earn)2 Get Connected on a Magical Musical Tour of New Orleans
Are you looking to make the most of your Annual Meeting experience? First-time attendees will learn the ins and outs of the meeting with this experiential tour through New Orleans’ rich musical past. Following musical clues through the historic French Quarter, learn about the city and enjoy a unique networking opportunity as you discover how to get the most from your PCMA experience.
Note: Session is limited to the first 300 registrants. Pre-registration is required. Be sure to bring a generous supply of your business cards!
Doug Bolger, Chief Learning Officer, L(earn)2
What is your greatest professional challenge? Email responses to communications@pcma.org
What do you foresee as your biggest challenge for 2009?

