Three Takeaways in the Aftermath of Global Meetings Industry Day

Author: Sherrif Karamat       

Sherrif Karamat

Sherrif Karamat, CAE

Like the global PCMA Team and so many of our members, I observed Global Meetings Industry Day from home, with family nearby. There were three takeaways from that day that have stayed with me:

  1. An Industry Coping with the Anxiety of Uncertainty:

    Like many leadership organizations around the world coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, PCMA has had to make some difficult decisions related to our Team. We had to let go or furlough some great people who contributed to what was going to be PCMA’s most successful year ever. We will treat them with the dignity they deserve, take care of them as best we can and hope to welcome them back soon. Truth is we don’t know when that will be. No one does.

    GMID demonstrated that people in our space are wondering when recovery will happen and what activity in our industry will look like when it does. PCMA is committed to helping answer those questions and ease everyone’s anxiety with a series of industry survey insights and next practices you can use to guide your personal and professional choices.

    We want you to know that PCMA will continue to help people where we can during these darkest of days and be there for them when we emerge on the other side. We are unwavering in this quest for our Team, our members and business partners and will continue to engage you every step of the way as we develop resources for our industry’s tomorrow.
  2. Passion for What We Do and For Whom We Do It With:

    For an industry based on economic and social transformation enabled through human connectivity, these are the toughest of times. But the incredible generosity and support that our industry is mobilizing for those impacted the most is a testimony to our commitment to making the world a better place in good times, and when things get rough.

    The participation in GMID activities around the world in the midst of a global pandemic was awe-inspiring. Visits to PCMA’s website set an all-time, single-day record. Business events stakeholders all over the world participated and sought advice in our webinars and engaged with their peers through our Community Conversations and social media channels.
  3. The Promise of Tomorrow:

    No one doubts for a moment that business events will be any less vital in a post-COVID world. I would argue that they are critical to economic and social recovery. But without question, they will be different. That means we need to be ready for the “next normal”. Through the support of the PCMA Foundation we are actively working on research to define what tomorrow in our space looks like and what skills will be needed to be successful.

    We do know one thing: expectations around digital engagement will be higher. To help you be prepared, PCMA has deployed our Digital Event Fast Track. And we will continue to quickly develop and deploy new resources for you so you can be prepared and successful when tomorrow comes.

I want to personally thank all of you for your support of PCMA through the ideas and feedback you continue to share. We are in the human connections business and today keeping those connections active are a vital part of defining our tomorrow.

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