The PCMA Global Student Competition invites student teams from around the world to solve real-world challenges in the business events industry. Each year, participants develop creative, strategic proposals in response to a timely case study, then pitch their ideas to a panel of industry leaders. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity to showcase your talent, build your network, and make your mark on the future of events.

For questions or more information, please contact [email protected].

Photo by Jacob Slaton / Whatever Media Group

Johnson & Wales University was selected as the winner of this year’s Global Student Competition for their thoughtful, well-executed concept and strong understanding of how design, experience, and strategy come together in a live event environment. Team members included Natalie Silverman, Leif Knudson, Savannah Seda, and Faculty Advisor Katie Davin. Read their proposal.

Finalist Teams Included:

• Universidad de Guadalajara (View Proposal)
• Singapore Polytechnic (View Proposal)
• DuocUC – Team 1 (View Proposal)
• DuocUC – Team 2 (View Proposal)

Theme: Designing the District
The Future of Experiential Brand Engagement

This year’s challenge is to reimagine “The District,” the central brand activation area within PCMA Convening Leaders – a global event that draws over 5,000 business events professionals each January. The District is not your average exhibit hall. Instead, it’s a dynamic environment where partners and participants engage in meaningful, memorable experiences.

Your challenge is to conceptualize and design an engaging, experiential environment that delivers on the core goals of a trade show floor—while pushing boundaries of creativity, design, technology, and connection.

Keep in mind the main experience pillars of Convening Leaders: Content, Community, and Commerce in your design.  

Your solution should help The District achieve the following goals:

• For Partners:
  • Drive brand awareness
  • Generate leads and new business opportunities
  • Facilitate high-quality conversations
• For Participants:
  • Discover innovative products, services and destinations
  • Gain education through unexpected formats
  • Make new business connections and develop relationships organically

Suggested Submission Elements:
To guide your proposal, consider including the following components (these are suggested, not required):

• Concept description and goals 
• Visual mock-ups or renderings 
• Sample sponsor activation ideas 
• Traffic flow or floor plan considerations 
• Technology and attendee engagement strategies 
• Metrics for success 

Proposal Design Principles:
A strong proposal will reflect the following qualities:

• Immersive: Go beyond booths – think sensory, emotional, and interactive experiences
• Purposeful: Every element should connect back to measurable goals.
• Sustainable & Scalable: Incorporate inclusive design and budget-friendly execution
• Future-Focused: Demostrate how The District can evolve alongside industry needs.

General Resources:

• The District – Overview Doc
• Comprehensive Industry Glossary
• Competition Requirements + Eligibility
• Judging Criteria Details
• PPT Sample Template (for finalist teams only) – for structure only, design and layout should be unique
• PCMA’s AI Tool: Spark – integrating generative AI as a resource tool is encouraged and should be referenced when used
• PCMA Partners – these are the organizations that typically support the District, for reference
• Current Sponsorship Package for the District – this is how The District is currently being positioned by the PCMA business development team

Suggested Learning Resources:

• Guiding Principles in Experience Design – Six Truths for Innovative Event Strategies
  An industry-defining research series that identifies evolving behaviors and motivators shaping the field of experience design, thanks to a partnership between PCMA and Marriott International.
• Reinventing Your Signature Event: Lessons Learned from the Field
  Unpacking the real-world case study of how organizations reimagined their signature events to meet the new needs of their audience. From identifying areas for improvement to developing a comprehensive redesign plan, we’ll examine the challenges, strategies and key steps taken to transform a signature event into a success story.
• How to Operationalize Your Commitment to DEI with a Supplier Diversity Program
  If you want to be a DEI champion for your events there’s more to it than who is in the audience and on stage. Partnering with suppliers who are from different backgrounds, identities, and experiences is a critical part of living your expressed commitment and achieving better economic outcomes within the communities where you hold events. DEI Expert, Zoe Moore, provides a comprehensive overview of the strategies you must put in place, ideally at the RFP stage, to set goals, execute them and measure success.
• Convene Article: ‘The Radical Act’ of Creating Community
• Convene Article: Building Events for Belonging

2024: Singapore Polytechnic (Proposal)

2023: High Point University (Proposal)

2022: George Washington University & ISAE Universidad (Proposal)

2021: Durham College

2020: University of Florida

2019: California Polytechnic State University

2018: Kansas State University