PCMA's Principles of Professional Performance

One of PCMA's main goals is to continue to develop superior educational products and programs to help our members pursue lifelong learning. To help us do this in a clear and effective way, we've developed the Principles of Professional Performance (PoPP). Simply put, PoPP is our framework for bringing relevant and effective education to each of our members to benefit their careers. PoPP not only impacts PCMA members, but also educational institutions, students, the entire meetings industry, and the industries that they serve.

As we talk about what PoPP is, it's also important to note what PoPP is not. It is not an accreditation or certification program for meeting professionals and we continue to support organizations involved with these. We purposely made the PoPP structure flexible to accommodate different skills for different companies or associations, or those that may change over time.

PCMA's educational programs are categorized under the following experience levels to provide you with the tools you need to succeed through every stage of your career:

Executive Education - Investigation and integration of how the implications and strategies from disciplines and conditions outside the industry may impact and be suitable for the business of meeting and event management.

Professional Education - Exploration of best practices to provide solutions and innovative approaches to the tasks and challenges of the meetings profession.

Essential Education - Education on advanced topics or new ways of doing business for experienced meeting planners.

In addition, education tracks are focused on the skills you use on a daily basis:

• Business Development
• Communication
• Event Management
• Facilities and Services
• Leadership
• Legal Issues
• Marketing
• Professional Development
• Program Planning
• Strategic Planning
• Talent Management
• Technology

Together, you can use these levels and tracks to help you determine if the level of content is appropriate for your skill/knowledge base. Look for these symbols on our Annual Meeting program descriptions:

Click here to learn more about these principles in practice at the PCMA Annual Meeting, the meetings and convention industry's premier education event.