The speakers who have appeared on the PCMA Education Conference stage in the past have come with impressive resumes. But the closing Main Stage presenter’s background at this year’s event, June 25–28 in Los Angeles, is a bit out of character for even this business event, which is known to take risks: He’s a rock star. Ciaran Gribbin, a Grammy-nominated songwriter and the former singer of INXS, will send attendees home with rock and roll songs playing in their heads.
It’s not simply a concert, though. Gribbin is the founder of Rock and Roll Team Building, and he uses his deep roots in songwriting and performing to give conference-goers a new appreciation for the spirit of working together. Even those who haven’t seen Gribbin on stage at the helm of INXS are likely to be familiar with his creative energy — he’s co-written songs for Madonna and acclaimed DJ Deadmau5, along with working with such other stars as U2, Al Pacino, and Paul McCartney.
Gribbin will bring those talents to bear with PCMA attendees, who should be ready for their own onstage debut in the high-energy closing session. “We wanted to offer a twist on the traditional approach to team-building,” said Kara Brockman, CAE, DES, education manager at PCMA. “The collaborative elements of writing and performing songs will give all attendees a new appreciation for the power of bringing different minds — and in this case, voices — together to create something new.”