Members-Only Summit Paired Advanced Learning with Philanthropy, Raising Funds for Scholarships and Community-Focused Initiatives; Lake Tahoe to Host in 2027
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – PCMA’s Business Events Summit (BES) concluded Tuesday, June 23, at El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, after three days of education and peer connection for the 686 on-site business events leaders. Formerly edUcon, BES is now an exclusive, members-only program with longer sessions and collaborative formats that help participants apply what they learn with their peers.
PCMA Board Chair, Kelly Ricker, noted the reimagined event is not simply reflective of its new brand. “Business Events Summit is about giving our leaders the space and support to grow. This year, you could see participants not just absorbing new ideas but actively working on how to strengthen their skills and show up differently for their teams and organizations.”
Opening the Summit, Holly Ransom, CEO of Emergent Global, challenged participants to become “high-signal thinkers” in a noisy and distracted world. Her keynote encouraged leaders to direct their attention more deliberately, cut through overload, and convert information into clearer, more sustained action — a message that resonated strongly with professionals facing increasing complexity in their organizations and event portfolios.
The future-focused conversation continued with Dr. Shawn DuBravac, president of Avrio Institute, whose session on the next shift in strategic event management examined how the profession is evolving in response to new technologies, data capabilities, and changing stakeholder expectations. DuBravac outlined how event professionals can move from an operator mindset to an orchestrator role by using emerging tools and strategic frameworks to deliver stronger outcomes and demonstrate greater business value.
Another powerful leadership perspective came from Rashmi Airan, whose message centered on resilience, ethics, and the choices leaders make under pressure. Drawing on her personal and professional journey, Airan shared her RISE framework — Reframe, Identify, Surrender, Evolve — and invited participants to reflect on the internal assumptions, pressures, and rationalizations that can shape decision-making. Her session added a deeply human dimension to the Summit’s broader themes, underscoring the importance of trust, self-awareness, and intentional leadership in moments of uncertainty.
Together, sessions from Holly Ransom, Shawn DuBravac, and Rashmi Airan underscored a central theme of the 2026 Summit: that the future of business events leadership depends on sharper thinking, more strategic design, and deeper personal accountability under pressure.
“Business Events Summit in Puerto Rico reminded us that business events are more than gatherings — they are platforms for solving problems and strengthening communities,” said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, President and CEO of PCMA and CEMA. “Our members showed up ready to learn and to invest in each other, and the Puerto Rico community welcomed us with a spirit and generosity that reflects the best of this industry. When destinations and events strategists work together, we create impact that reaches far beyond the meeting room.”
Sold-out Foundation events added to the momentum, including the Give Back Bash and two Get Fit experiences — Soundbath and Puppy Yoga — that raised funds to provide more than 40 scholarships for business events professionals. Together, those events extended the Summit’s focus on professional growth beyond the classroom and into community support for the next generation of industry leaders.
The Summit also recognized local frontline excellence through the Heroes of Hospitality program, presented by the PCMA Foundation in partnership with the Above and Beyond Foundation. This year’s heroes — Luis Vazquez Castro, El Conquistador’s bird care, housekeeping, and lobby attendant, and Angel Otero, Puerto Rico Convention Center Event Specialist — were recognized for representing the heart of hospitality either through a single remarkable act or showing up daily and going above and beyond.
Business Events Summit 2027 is confirmed for June 20-23, 2027, in Lake Tahoe.
For media inquiries from the Americas, APAC, EMEA, and LATAM, please contact: Meghan Risch, PCMA Chief of Staff, Vice President, Corporate Communications
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 72 countries and communities. The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA), a PCMA subsidiary, advances strategic event marketing and marketing communications for senior-level event marketers and industry professionals. Visit us at pcma.org.
About PCMA Foundation
The role of the PCMA Foundation is to support PCMA’s mission through fundraising and grantmaking focused on scholarships, education, and research to advance the business events industry. Annually, the Foundation funds over $900K in impact and, since 1985, has funded over 2,500 scholarships, 100 research studies and educational programs, and $2.7M in charitable giving.
