21 Takeaways from Convening Leaders 2021

That’s a wrap on Convening Leaders 2021! The APAC team had an incredible two days seeing members face-to-face at the PCMA Global Broadcast Center in Singapore, hearing from inspiring and driven speakers, and taking in the different perspectives of members from around the world. These are our 21 takeaways from Convening Leaders 2021:

1. 1. This was the first time Convening Leaders launched from the APAC region. Marina Bay Sands shined as the hybrid host venue, and the Singapore Tourism Board has established the benchmark for business events by setting the standard for event safety.
   2. Physical attendees were willing to comply with additional registration time and the early arrival required for testing. In hindsight, this is time that can be designed into the program to engage attendees as they wait for doors to open.
   3. All 300+ daily antigen rapid tests came back negative and attendees felt protected with strict safety and security measures in place.
   4. Although there are limitations with respect to safe distancing, we must up the ante on engagement and networking for those who are present face-to-face.
   5. The Behind The Scenes tour at Marina Bay Sands was a hit with participants who got to see this event’s inner workings and learn insights about curating experiences with our producer George P Johnson.
   6. We were inspired when the Hon. Julia Gillard AC, who was the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister in Australia, said, “Resilience is a muscle. You work it and it gets stronger”. Ms. Gillard also spoke about leaders needing the time and space to think deeply when it comes to critical decision-making.
   7. Keynote Thomas Friedman says “The world is flatter than ever”. His perspective challenged how we think about adapting to the future of business events and leadership.
   8. Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird’s Closing Keynote taught us, “To create the change you want to see in achieving equity, think about how you are educating yourself to be more aware and knowledgeable”.
   9. The hologram and remote dial-in panellist technology isn’t new— but it’s now necessary and so much more than a novelty.
   10. Music is a universal language. The musical components were incredibly popular including the Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences Choir and the DJ Battle of the Eras.
   11. The Convening Leaders music playlist is available for you to enjoy and play on repeat: Open Playlist
   12. Many of the sessions were pre-recorded with speakers either joining in at the end for live Q&A, or being active in the chat during the session to increase virtual audience participation.
   13. People crave entertainment along with knowledge and education.
   14. Holly Ransom and Nikki Muller are just as engaging in person as they were virtually as emcees!
   15. PCMA is truly global with broadcasts streaming in from all over the world, including New York, Melbourne, Montréal and more.
   16. The PCMA community is a family that strives to uplift and learn from one another, and bring out the best in each other.
   17. Networking is a privilege and our team loved being able to connect face-to-face and bring the community together again.
   18. “After a decade of unicorns, we are going to see a decade of phoenixes”, – Peter Hinssen, founder of nexxworks, in “Renew and Transform Your Organization in 2021 and Beyond”.
   19. Partnerships have been so important during the pandemic; working together and involving and engaging partners can be a key to success.
   20. Convening EMEA, a new PCMA omnichannel event was launched.
   21. We’ve reached number 21 but we have so many more takeaways from Convening Leaders 2021. Access On Demand now to find your own takeaways.

It’s not too late to experience Convening Leaders 2021. Access all On Demand content and find your own key takeaways from the event by purchasing for $95 with access granted through 15 March: conveningleaders.org/registration/