• Professional Development
• Professional Education

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.

• Discover how PCMA Chapters connect to the overall strategic direction of PCMA.
• Brainstorm with other chapter leaders and volunteers on your most pressing concerns.
• Identify real and tangible solutions that you can implement immediately.

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, ,

• Program Planning
• Professional Education

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.

• Develop a preliminary curriculum map for meeting management courses and programs.
• Match core-competencies to various program requirements and outcomes.
• Construct a course structure within the 100, 200, 300, and 400 leveling system used by most colleges and universities.

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

• Professional Development
• Professional Education

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.

• Review potential crisis situations within an exhibition.
• Identify the basic elements of a crisis management plan.
• Develop a comprehensive crisis management plan.

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

• Professional Development
• Professional Education

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.

• Identify the assets and liabilities of using various exhibition sites such as hotels, convention centers, etc.
• Describe how to choose a site based on criteria identified by the exhibition manager, the service contractor and the meeting manager.
• Develop a basic site proposal for any type of facility or location.

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

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

• Communication
• Professional Education

Who Should Attend? Student attendees of all levels

Our industry, like so many, is relationship-driven. The people you meet at PCMA will be your colleagues, customers, co-workers, and friends for years to come. Discover how you break into a conversation with someone new and begin to build those relationships from your first hello.

• Use the power of presence to enhance interpersonal communication.
• Make "shyness" an asset in a networking situation.
• Enter into and exit from conversations comfortably for you and the other parties.

Izzy Gesell CSP, Organizational Alchemist, IzzyG & Company

• Communication
• Professional Education

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.

• Meet fellow conference participants and network with contacts.
• Discover how to take advantage of all the PCMA conference benefits.
• Find out what makes PCMA unique through this unique interactive format.

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

• Professional Development
• Professional Education

Who Should Attend? First-time Annual Meeting Student attendees

Hear from and interact with those who are at different levels in the industry and find out what they wish they’d known before they began their careers and what you can do, now, to begin or further your career.

• Discover career information you didn’t learn in school.
• Gain confidence in talking with industry professionals.
• Build a stronger network.

Joan L. Eisenstodt, Chief Strategist, Eisenstodt Associates, LLC

• Professional Development
• Professional Education

Who Should Attend? Experienced Annual Meeting Student attendees

You’ve learned a lot about meetings industry careers at school, at PCMA meetings, from career services offices, and by working full or part-time. In this interactive session, discover how you can translate this information into the steps you need to take to build the career you want. Get the “inside scoop” from industry professionals on how to determine the best career path and what it takes to get the job you want. To maximize the value of this session, bring your résumé and at least five questions you want to ask meetings industry professionals about identifying your ideal meetings industry job.

• Gain insights from frank discussions about challenges and strategies for finding and landing jobs.
• Focus your career efforts on areas that enable use of your unique combination of skills, interests, and abilities.
• Define the career path that will take you to the next step.

Tyra W. Hilliard JD, CMP, Department of Tourism & Hospitality Management, George Washington University