For more information, contact Sandy Eitel at 312.423.7271 or seitel@pcma.org.

Seattle, Washington, January 15, 2008-The PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) Education Foundation launched a new Annual Individual Giving Campaign at this morning's General Session at the 2008 PCMA Annual Meeting in Seattle.

"We are excited to tell you that for every $20 given to the Foundation today a tree will be planted on your behalf through the Green Seattle Partnership," said 2007 PCMA Education Foundation Chair Gary Seibert, CHA. "Additionally, we have been informed that for every tree planted during this Individual Giving Campaign Launch, PCMA will match your tree planting-allowing us to double PCMA's lasting legacy in Seattle." PCMA has committed to planting a minimum of 500 trees, and will plant up to 1,000 to extend the organization's legacy in Seattle.

Seibert encouraged PCMA Annual Meeting attendees to support the campaign kick-off by completing the donation envelope placed on each seat at the Tuesday General Session. In exchange for the completed envelope, donors received a recycled leaf pin to demonstrate their support of the Foundation and the environment.

"With as little as $20 from every PCMA member-imagine the possibilities! We're making it easy and meaningful today to support your Foundation," added the 2008 PCMA Education Foundation Chair Christie Hicks.

This past year, with the direction of the Donor Relations Task Force, the PCMA Education Foundation Board of Trustees approved an Annual Individual Giving plan which encompasses significant donor recognition-beginning with the tree planting in Seattle. The campaign will be ongoing and PCMA members and other meetings professionals will be able to donate throughout 2008.

Funds raised through the campaign will help the PCMA Education Foundation continue to be the industry's leading philanthropic and charitable organization as well as the catalyst for uniting people, organizations and corporations to make a difference through education, research, and community outreach. For more information visit www.pcma.org/foundation.

The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) is the professional resource and premier educator for the meetings and convention industry. Founded in 1957, PCMA represents the interests of meeting management executives from associations, non-profit organizations, corporations, independent meeting planning companies, and multi-management firms who recognize the importance of meetings to their organization. PCMA empowers members with the tools they need to succeed as meeting professionals and to promote the value of the industry to their organizations and the general public. Headquartered in Chicago, PCMA has 16 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. For additional information, please visit the PCMA Web site at www.pcma.org.

The role of the PCMA Education Foundation is to support the mission of the PCMA through fundraising and grant giving focused on education and research that will benefit the meetings and conventions industry. Established in 1985, the Foundation supports educational programs to improve professionalism in the meetings industry and to provide a university-level meeting management curriculum. The Foundation provides educational programs for meeting managers, hotels, convention and visitors bureaus, and other members of the meetings industry. It also conducts ongoing research of industry issues and concerns. The Foundation continually designs and creates new programs to encourage the highest levels of professionalism in the meetings industry.