Possibilities Abound at the 2008 PCMA Annual Meeting

More than 3,000 meetings industry professionals are gearing up for the 52nd PCMA Annual Meeting, taking place Jan. 13-16, 2008, in Seattle. With a sensational cast of general session speakers, the thought-provoking Masters Series program, and unique experiential sessions, the event will indeed be "Creating Possibilities," this year's theme.

As in past years, the annual meeting will offer a wide variety of education designed to help attendees enhance their careers and make them valuable players within their organizations. Attendees will choose from more than 80 breakout sessions on attendance building, negotiating, ROI, innovation, work/life balance, talent management, exhibition management, marketing, leadership, business strategy, technology, crisis planning, green meetings, generational issues, international meetings, legal issues, and more.

"We're thrilled with the possibilities of inspiring and creating thought-provoking experiences at our 2008 Annual Meeting," said Deborah Sexton, PCMA president and CEO. "The general session speakers, along with our spectacular hosts in Seattle, will be catalysts for a dynamic event that will energize the meeting community for the year ahead."

A Stellar Line-Up of Speakers

 Robert F. Kennedy Jr., "Experience" Gurus Pine and Gilmore, and Microsoft's Mich Mathews

Kicking off the education will be Joseph Pine II and James Gilmore, authors of the soon-to-be-released book Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want. In a rare joint stage appearance, the duo will explore consumers' growing awareness of mediated and intentionally staged experiences and how business leaders must make those experiences more authentic. This concept is an evolution of Pine and Gilmore's landmark book, The Experience Economy. (Read more on p. 44.)

On Tuesday, Mich Mathews, Microsoft's senior vice president, marketing, will demonstrate how the meetings industry can raise the bar by better communicating the value of events to both attendees and organizations. Mathews offers a unique perspective in how to utilize a range of marketing tools and measure their effectiveness. Microsoft's meetings and events teams report to Mathews, so she brings a synergistic understanding of how both marketing and events can work together to produce measurable results.

On Wednesday, attendees will have the opportunity to enhance their understanding of our environment from one of the green movement's earliest and most passionate advocates. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - author, environmental activist and senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council - will speak about creating possibilities for the world today that will determine the future for generations to come. One of the most sought-after speakers on the environment, Kennedy has long been ahead of the curve on the ever-increasing importance of conservation.

Breaking Out of the Classroom With PCMA Experientials

PCMA's experiential learning sessions WILL give annual meeting attendees an opportunity to visit some distinctive Seattle attractions - as well as practical knowledge they can apply when they return to the office.

In Monday's experiential session L(earn)2 Save the Titanic, participants will travel to Bell Harbor and embark on a journey of exploration aboard the Odyssey Maritime Museum. In an exciting simulation, participants will gain experience in developing management and leadership skills in a high-pressure situation.

In the unofficial coffee capital of the world, participants of "Experience the Finer Points of Coffee" will study the background and process of developing gourmet coffee, witness the roasting of beans, and participate in a food and coffee tasting. They'll leave Seattle "java experts," with a rich understanding of how to pair various coffee blends to complement the palate.

At the home of the Seattle Mariners, participants of "L(earn)2 Build Attendance" will discover tools to increase the attendance of their own meetings and events. Each "team" will receive a budget of time and money to implement their methodology and plans. "Players" will then receive feedback on their choice of tactics, strategy, and timing.

Masters Series Features Experts

High-Profile Masters Series Speakers to Tackle Business Ethics, Negotiation Strategies, and Generational Issues

The PCMA Masters Series was launched at last year's meeting in Toronto with the objective of exposing PCMA members to best practices and new ideas that will influence the business of meetings and conventions. All Masters Series speakers are experts in their respective fields, and widely considered "acknowledged thought leaders."

At the PCMA annual meeting in Seattle, attendees will have the opportunity to delve into business ethics, master the mind games associated with successful negotiations, and gain clear tactics for relating to "Generation Why." At Monday's session, "Business Ethics: Why Every Decision Counts," participants will join internationally recognized ethics authority Patrick Kuhse on his personal journey from successful stockbroker to incarceration in two countries. A self-admitted greedy stockbroker on Wall Street in the 1980s, Kuhse's value system changed dramatically when he became more interested in making money and being successful than behaving ethically. Kuhse now believes he can make up for his wrongdoing by preaching the importance of ethical behavior.

In Tuesday's session, "Winning the Mind Game: The Art of Successful Negotiation in Meeting and Conference Planning," Dr. Paul Lisnek, a nationally recognized television commentator, author, corporate trainer, trial consultant, and lawyer, will demonstrate the strategies behind effective negotiation. According to Lisnek, "win-win" is not the best approach to negotiation success - controlling the process and guiding the interactions are key to winning the negotiation mind game.

Eric Chester is the premier expert on "Generation Why." In fact, he coined the term. In Wednesday's Masters Series session, "The Aliens Have Landed! How to Make Meetings Relevant With the Next Generation," Chester will show meeting attendees how to relate to younger generations and ultimately convert them to attendees and members. Chester's timely program will help industry experts discover how to keep their meetings and organizations relevant to the next generation.

With such a diverse, relevant line-up of education, the PCMA Annual Meeting is once again set to lead the industry forward. For a complete listing of all of the educational offerings or to register, visit www.pcma2008.org.