PMM5 Covers Net Ground For Meeting Professionals

The fifth edition of Professional Meeting Management (PMM5) was published late this spring in both soft cover and special 20th anniversary commemorative hardcover copies. The first edition was edited by Barbara Nichols, who, in the mid-1980s, understood the need to treat meeting planning as a profession and not just a job. She created the first textbook for the meeting industry.

"There were no formal college or university courses at the time for meeting managers. So, I suggested a 'how to' book, since I was writing a 'how-to' column for Meeting News at the time," she said.

There were no photos in the first printing, but the book was well received in the industry and became required study material for the newly established Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) exam. In fact, next year's CMP exam will incorporate new material included in PMM5.

This latest addition is edited by Glen Ramsborg, Ph.D., PCMA's senior director of education. He credits Nichols for launching his writing career.

"She was the editor of Convene, and encouraged me to submit an article and to keep writing almost 20 years ago," Ramsborg said.

The textbook continues to change with the times, and PMM5 features several new areas of interest for meeting professionals - including a strategic approach to sponsorships, the importance of return on investment, technology, housing trends, independent meeting professionals, room block management, signage and wayfinding, security, ethics, and risk management. Convention centers are featured in a separate chapter. This edition also focuses on generational, multicultural, and international issues.

Ramsborg says PMM5 combines the best and most relevant content from the previous four editions along with the collective insights and experiences of almost 450 industry professionals from over the past 20 years. PMM5 also offers insight into the future of the meetings profession.

"We have changed this edition to be responsive to meeting professionals' concerns in this ever-changing world. We realize a printed volume cannot be as up-to-date as today's news. However, by surveying the industry, and responding to industry concerns, we hope to have a book that will have a shelf life of at least three years," Ramsborg said. To order, call (800) 338-8290 or visit www.kendallhunt.com/pcma.

Meeting Professionals on the Cutting Edge

PCMA has partnered with the pres- tigious University of Chicago Graduate School of Business for the invitation-only program, Executive Edge, scheduled for Aug. 2, 2006. The program is designed to help meeting industry leaders strategically plan for their organization's future by focusing on the critical competencies they need.

Executives may choose between two one-day programs led by University of Chicago Graduate School of Business faculty members, Susan Annunzio and Ann McGill. Annunzio is an adjunct professor of management who has also taught at General Electric's Crontonville Corporate Training Center. Her program, "Building a High-Performance Organization," will demonstrate how high-performance work environments drive financial results and innovation. She will focus on the top three goals of valuing people, optimizing critical thinking, and seizing opportunities.

McGill will teach the program "Strategic Marketing." She holds the 2005 McKinsey Award for Excellence in Teaching. During her program, executives will learn why some marketing strategies succeed while others fail. The program will focus on developing a position in the marketplace, providing value to customers, and maximizing return on marketing expenses.

The Executive Edge program will take place at the Gleacher Center in Chicago. If you would like to attend, please contact PCMA Special Events Manager Sarah Corradino at scorradino@pcma.org to be qualified for the program.