WASHINGTON, DC — On May 2, the PCMA Education Foundation held its 2018 Visionary Awards gala at the Marriott Marquis Washington, DC. More than 1,000 leaders in the business events industry attended the event, which featured the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award and 2018 Professional Excellence Award winners.

“Tonight’s honorees and finalists, each in his or her own way, has pushed the boundaries of their roles and harnessed innovation to advance their organizations and the business events industry,” said PCMA President & CEO Sherrif Karamat. “They are the best of the best, and their accomplishments inspire industry veterans and novices alike.”

Those celebrated included:

2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees

Ray Kopcinski, CMP, Owner, Peak Global Consulting – 2018 Meeting Professional Honoree

Godwin Charles Ogbeide, PhD, MBA, Associate Professor of Strategy and Hospitality, IUPUI – 2018 Educator Honoree

Carrie Freeman Parsons, Vice Chair, Freeman – 2018 Supplier Honoree

2018 Professional Excellence Award Winners

Meeting Professional of the Year

Wanda Johnson, CMP, CAE, Chief Program Officer with the Endocrine Society

Event Designer of the Year

Phelps R. Hope, CMP, Senior Vice President, Meetings & Expositions, Kellen

Digital Event Strategist of the Year

Nicole Armstrong CMP, CMM, Vice President, Worldwide Events with MicroStrategy

Supplier of the Year

Chris FJ Lynn, Vice President, North America & Emerging Markets with Business Tourism, London & Partners

Community Advocate of the Year

Jeff Chase, Vice President of Sustainability, Freeman

See PCMA’s news release for details on the honorees. Also read F&D’s interview with Karamat on PCMA’s latest initiatives.