Association Forum Holiday Showcase

Association Forum Holiday Showcase – Meeting Planner Track
Powered by PCMA Greater Midwest Chapter

Thursday, December 4th, 2025 | 8:15am – 10:30am

McCormick Place – West Building | 2317 S. Indiana Avenue | Chicago, IL 60616

Join us at the Association Forum Holiday Showcase on December 4th! PCMA GMC will be supporting some education sessions in the meeting planner track. See below for details on those sessions!

Visit here for the full schedule. Register for the Holiday Showcase here.

Education Sessions

Thursday, December 4 | 8:15-9:15 a.m. |  Beyond the Booth: Designing for Change Through Neuroscience and Cognitive Insights 

This hands-on workshop dives into the “why” behind attendee behavior, focusing on the neuroscience and cognitive insights that drive engagement, memory, and decision-making. We’ll explore how to design exhibition experiences that align with how people actually think, feel, and connect. Participants will move from “why” to “how” by translating core human needs (like safety, connection, and curiosity) into actionable design principles. Working in groups, attendees will tackle common exhibition challenges, applying these principles to brainstorm small, testable design experiments. Walk away with a new framework for designing human-centered exhibitions that foster change, spark curiosity, and create lasting impact.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1. Decode the “Why”: Understand how core psychological drivers (attention, memory, emotion, safety) shape attendee behavior and their resistance or openness to change.
2. Translate Insights to Principles: Connect core cognitive and human needs into practical design principles for exhibitions (e.g., “Design for Psychological Safety,” “Design for Discovery”).
3. Apply Insights to Design: Use this framework to brainstorm and design small, human-centered “experiments” to solve common exhibition-floor challenges.
4. Foster Human-Centered Change: Re-frame “experience design” as an ongoing process of aligning attendee needs with exhibition goals.

SPEAKER:
Anthony Vade
Chief Innovation Officer and Co-founder
STRATEGY TABLE PATHWAYS Inc.

Thursday, December 4 | 9:30 -10:30 a.m. | Pathways to the C-Suite: Lessons from Events Industry Leaders

What does it take to rise to the top in today’s dynamic business events industry? This candid conversation brings together C-suite executives and senior leaders from across the industry — spanning meeting planning, destination management, convention centers, general services, and audio-visual solutions. Panelists will share their personal journeys, pivotal career moments, and the lessons that shaped their leadership styles. Attendees will walk away with actionable insights, inspiration, and strategies to accelerate their own path to executive leadership.

Learning Objectives:
By attending this session, participants will:

1. Gain perspective on the diverse career pathways that lead to executive leadership across various sectors of the business events industry.
2. Identify key leadership traits and strategies that support long-term growth, adaptability, and influence within organizations.
3. Learn practical advice and actionable steps for building credibility, expanding networks, and positioning themselves for senior leadership roles.

Moderator:

• Dawn Amaskane, CAE, CMP – Vice President, Governance and Meetings, American Osteopathic Association 

Panelists:

• Deborah A. Ross, CCHP – Chief Executive Officer, National Commission on Correctional Health Care (Business Event Strategist / Chief Executive Officer)
• Larita Clark – Chief Executive Officer, MPEA (Convention Center)
• Cleo Battle – President & Chief Executive Officer, Louisville Tourism (Destination Management / CVB)
• Chuck Grouzard – Executive Vice President, Business Development, GES (General Service Contractor)
• Robert Parrish – Vice President, Field Sales, Encore Global (Audio-Visual)