CONVENING LEADERS 2025 GIVES BACK TO HOUSTON COMMUNITY, HONORS INDUSTRY LEADERS AND HIGHLIGHTS WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE GLOBAL BUSINESS

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EVENTS INDUSTRY

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – PCMA’s Convening Leaders 2025 (CL25) represented the spirit of a global community that is continually growing, constantly innovating, and always lifting one another. The learning, the connections, and the unexpected moments of inspiration fueled a memorable journey towards PCMA’s 2030 vision of being the  Platform for the Global Business Events Community, further exhibiting the critical role of business events strategists, marketers, partners, students, faculty, and more.  

“Because we convene people, we have the power to use business events to impact economic and social change,” said Sherrif Karamat CAE, President & CEO, PCMA and  CEMA. “Business events are what we do, but why we do them is where the magic happens. Our profession is extremely valuable to society, and raising the level of our profession is about us owning our place in society. We can make a difference when  we push beyond boundaries.” 

CL25 Participant | Fundraising Details 

Total Registration — 4,500 | 3,800 in-person 

$400k+ — Funds raised from CL25 wellness and networking experiences, which  directly support the PCMA Foundation  

A summary of key announcements is as follows: 

To further PCMA’s mission to drive social impact and transformation in destinations where we meet, more than 100 volunteers participated in the annual Hospitality  Helping Hands. This year’s beneficiary was Bread of Life, a Houston-based program to aid underserved communities through homelessness, health, hunger relief, and more programs. In addition to the 100 volunteers, the PCMA Foundation contributed  $10,000 to support Bread of Life’s impactful efforts. The 2025 Hospitality Helping  Hands was supported by GES | OnPeak, Maritz, and Visit Virginia Beach. Supporting  images: Impact report HHH_smiles.JPG HHH Check_Group.jpg

The PCMA Foundation, in partnership with the Above and Beyond Foundation and  GES | onPeak, celebrated three local Heroes of Hospitality with a $5,000 cash award. Visit Houston, and the Houston community identified the recipients. The “Heroes” demonstrate positive values and embody the heart of hospitality through an extraordinary single act of service and/or consistent job performance.  The celebrated team members are Brenda Cullors, Front Office Host, Hilton  Americas Houston; Maria Tovar, Maintenance team member, Houston First  Corporation; and Daniel Espinosa, Levy Banquet Supervisor, George R Brown  Convention Center. Group photo.

Visionary Awards Lifetime Achievement Honorees and Finalists 

Desiree Knight, CMP, CAE, DES, PCMA Awards Committee Chair, and Meredith Rollins, Chief Community Officer, and Executive Director, PCMA Foundation, announced this year’s Visionary Awards Honorees and Finalists during the Monday morning Main Stage. Immediately following the morning general session, Honorees and Finalists were celebrated at the Visit Austin activation in The District. Full release and image are available here. 

PCMA Foundation Turns 40 | Celebrates Next-Gen Leaders 

  • This year, the PCMA Foundation celebrates its 40th anniversary. For four decades, the Foundation has provided scholarships, educational resources,  research dollars, and critical support to ensure business event professionals have everything they need to succeed. Funds raised from Foundation activities and experiences during CL25 delivered more than $400,000, directly supporting the Foundation’s mission.  
  • Supported by the PCMA Foundation and Experience Columbus, the 2025  Class of “20 in Their Twenties” was introduced by Immediate Past-Chair Leonard Hoops and PCMA and CEMA President & CEO Sherrif Karamat, CAE. The class of 2025 represents business event organizers and suppliers from several PCMA regions, including APAC, Canada, EMEA, and the U.S. Full release and image are available here.  
  • Funds provided by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and  Desirée Knight, Senior Director, Meetings & Events with the American  Psychological Association, provided eight college students with the opportunity to participate in CL25 as recipients of the Historically Black  Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Rising Star Student Scholarship. The 

students networked with industry professionals, participated in educational sessions, and gained valuable insights into the global business events industry. HBCU Group Photo Names/individual headshots are available upon request.  

  • PCMA remains committed to providing opportunities for all. The Ascent Pathway 100 program, sponsored by Visit Baltimore, empowers diverse leaders throughout the global business events industry. Fourteen of the 28 event professionals currently enrolled attended CL25.  

PCMA Business of Events Confirmed for Singapore through 2027 

PCMA signed two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with the Singapore  Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SECB), a part of the Singapore Tourism Board  (STB), and Marina Bay Sands, respectively, to anchor PCMA’s Asia Pacific (APAC)  signature conference, The Business of Events, at Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay  Sands through 2027. Full release and image are available here

  • Interactive Sustainable Art Experience 

The Global Pavilion within The District featured a tangible demonstration of sustainability through an innovative carbon-absorbing mural that actively reduces CO2. The mural absorbed as much carbon as a mature tree absorbs annually. Curated by United By Design artist David Maldonado, he was on-site to provide background and benefits for this first-ever mural design. The experience highlighted Singapore’s position as a leading sustainable destination aligning with its MICE sustainability goals. 

Mural Highlights | Images: 

  • 157 CL25 participants contributed to the mural BMP_9402 (1).JPG Final Singapore mural.jpg photo credit for the final mural: David Maldonado 
  • Mural prevented 150 grams of VOC emissions (equivalent to driving 150  miles)

PCMA Brand Reveal — Leading Minds; Leading Change 

PCMA’s journey to rebrand is much more than a new logo or tagline. It’s about positioning PCMA as a purpose-driven organization, ensuring that PCMA continues to be the most valuable community for business events professionals of all backgrounds, experiences, roles, and geographic regions. 

Further details, including the final logo, will be forthcoming within the next few months.  

2025 Chair Awards 

On Leonard Hoops’ final day as PCMA Chair, he proudly presented three industry leaders with the annual Chair award. The 2025 recipients are: 

Catherine Mills, Vice President, Conferences and Continuing Education, American  Dental Association (Catherine was unable to join us in person) 

Angie Ranalli, CMP, Senior National Sales Director, San Diego Tourism Authority John Solis, Senior Vice President, Sales & Client Services, Visit Houston 

Spark Enhancements  
More than 10,000 subscribers throughout 120+ countries utilize Spark, the platform that has already transformed how the global business events community collaborates. Spark Studio allows Spark users to create custom workflows by putting the power of AI directly in the user’s hands. Perhaps the best part is the ability for users to share prompts within the Spark community.  

Another exciting product development for Spark users is Destination. To be launched in mid-2025, this new tool is essential for the events and destinations community. It will ensure improved productivity and overall decision-making for event strategists based on event specifications, specifically comparing destinations and venues, ultimately streamlining the comprehensive process. 

About PCMA 
PCMA, PCMA Foundation, and CEMA educate, inspire, and listen, creating meaningful experiences where passion, purpose, and commerce come together. We are the world’s largest community for Business Events  Strategists, providing senior-level education, networking, and market intelligence for the global business events industry. Our mission is to drive social and economic progress through business events. Headquartered in  Chicago, IL, PCMA has 17 North American Chapters, regional communities in APAC, EMEA, and LATAM, and members in 59 countries. The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA), a PCMA subsidiary, advances strategic event marketing and communications for senior-level event marketers and industry professionals. Visit us at pcma.org. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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