The PCMA Global Student Competition aims to encourage innovative thinking and collaboration among students, worldwide, to explore fresh ideas that will expand the outlook of the business events industry while engaging their knowledge and understanding of the industry.

Overview

2024 Theme: Driving Experience Innovation in Business Events

Integrating research from Guiding Principles in Experience Design

View the general requirements here.

Within the proposed theme, teams will develop a detailed proposal for a mock Convention, Conference and/or Tradeshow for an association or corporation.

Details:

Teams will be evaluated based on their proposals, scored by a committee of industry professionals. The top five teams will then be invited to virtually present their final proposal to the panel which will include a 5-minute pitch presentation and a 5–10-minute Q&A Session with the judges panel.

The winning team will receive complimentary round-trip air transportation, accommodation, and registration at Convening Leaders 2025 in Houston, TX. The team will be invited to then present their pitch during Convening Leaders and have the opportunity to work with the PCMA Team on a special project during edUcon 2025. This exposure to over 5,000 industry professionals for recognition, networking and continued education is a rare resume building opportunity for students seeking employment in the business events industry.

Timeline

August 1st – October 18th: Registration Open
November 1st: Proposals Due
November 20th: Finalist Teams Announced
Week of December 2nd: Final Presentation to Judges

(on-demand virtual meetings available at team’s request through Nov 1st with PCMA staff. Please email [email protected] to schedule.

Resources

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).

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

2023 Winning Team: High Point University Team 2
EdTech Summit: Unlocking Tomorrows Minds Using AI in Education