Ethics, Mind Games, and Generations at The PCMA Masters Series in Seattle
Launched at the 2007 annual meeting in Toronto, the objective of The Masters Series is to expose PCMA members to best practices and new ideas that will influence the business of meetings and conventions. At the PCMA annual meeting in Seattle, The Masters Series will give attendees 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 with a loving family and home in the suburbs to incarceration in two countries. As a self-admitted greedy stockbroker on Wall Street in the 1980s, Kuhse's value system changed 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. Lisnek serves as anchor of "Newsmakers" seen hourly on CNN Headline News, and as host for "Political Update With Paul Lisnek."

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. America is in the midst of a monumental shift in demographics. Chester's timely program will help industry experts discover how to keep their meetings and organizations relevant to the next generation.

For more information on The Masters Series and all of the education being offered at the PCMA 2008 Annual Meeting, visit www.pcma2008.org.

2008 PCMA Education Foundation Dinner Celebrating Professional Achievement Honorees Announced
T he PCMA Education Foundation will recognize the lifetime achievements of Debra Rosencrance, CAE, CMP, this year's meeting professional honoree; Charles Ahlers, the supplier partner honoree; and Joan Eisenstodt, the educator honoree, at this year's Dinner Celebrating Professional Achievement on April 2, 2008, in Washington, D.C.

Rosencrance has been the vice president of meetings and exhibits for the American Academy of Opthalmology since 1997, and has been with the academy since 1986. In her current position, Rosencrance manages and supervises all aspects of the third largest medical meeting in the United States, with more than 26,000 attendees. As a dedicated member of PCMA, Rosencrance served on the Board of Directors from 2001 - 2003. She has participated on numerous PCMA committees and taskforces, and has been extremely active within the Northern California Chapter, serving as term president in 1999.

Ahlers was named president of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau in 1992. As president, he oversees the bureau's convention and tourism marketing efforts and serves as its chief executive officer. Ahlers' history with Anaheim dates back to the 1970s; he held the position of convention sales manager at the bureau for seven years. Ahlers has been an industry leader for more than 35 years, mentoring countless professionals and providing thoughtful counsel. His service to PCMA includes a term on both the Board of Directors and the Foundation Board of Trustees.

Eisenstodt brings more than 30 years of experience to her role as a meetings industry educator. Her expertise lies in the areas of facilitation and training, meetings program and delivery design, and contract negotiations. She founded Eisenstodt Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based conference consulting, facilitation, and training consultancy, in 1981. Eisenstodt has been honored by PCMA, MPI, HSMAI, NSA, IACC, and was inducted into the CIC Hall of Leaders in 2004. She has served as a "Thought Leader" for PCMA, in addition to volunteering on other committees for various industry and non-industry organizations. For more than 20 years, Eisenstodt has been an active member of PCMA, presenting at several PCMA Annual Meetings and assisting in the development of student programming.

Save the date for the 2008 Education Foundation Dinner.
Check www.pcma.org/educationfoundation for more information. 

Now Online at PCMA
Visit the PCMA Live Learning Center to view some of the most highly-rated educational sessions from the PCMA 2007 Annual Meeting in Toronto. If you've never been to a PCMA Annual Meeting, this is the place to get a sneak peek at what to expect in 2008. Visit www.pcma.org to access this innovative, online learning portal.

PCMA Chapters Corner
Greater Philadelphia Helps Families;
Canada West Explores Generations
Twice each year, the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of PCMA hosts events for the residents at the Anna M. Sample Shelter. The shelter provides temporary housing for single-parent families, intact families, and single women. On Oct. 6, the chapter came together for "Create a Memory Day," an afternoon that gives residents the opportunity to take pictures and create photo frames, albums, and scrapbooks. For a lot of the residents, this is the first time they've taken family photos. As part of their "Service in Sync" project on Nov. 10, the chapter will refurbish the largest family lounge in the shelter. "The project is both professionally and personally rewarding, as it offers opportunities for networking, teambuilding, and community service," said Jolene McNeil, CMP.

Canada West Chapter Learns
On Sept. 14, Canada West Chapter members learned about the key drivers behind all four generations; Matures, Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y. At "Generations @ Work" led by Michelle Lapierre of Marriott International, participants gained practical strategies for successful interaction between all generations, as well as tactics for leveraging the strengths of each group. "Michelle's colorful program left us with a renewed sense of what unique characteristics each generation can bring to our everyday lives," said David Boleszczuk, president of the Canada West Chapter.