January 2019
Business challenges are coming at us so fast and are so complex that leaders can no longer afford not to leverage the knowledge and creativity of every person within their organizations. Experts point to a different way forward: It’s called humble or servant leadership.
Cover illustration by Dadu Shi
view digital edition subscribeAIME Puts Focus on Education
As PCMA continues to spread roots in the Asia Pacific region, the organization will act as the exclusive strategic education partner at one of APAC’s biggest events.
Report Spotlights 5 Forces Shaping Future of Business Events Industry
A new report helps event organizers design experiences that will resonate with participants today and tomorrow.
Building a Team-Oriented Culture
Arlene A. Pietranton, CEO of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), describes how ASHA creates a collaborative work culture in its organizational structure, manifested in the physical layout of its headquarters.
Servant Leadership Means Questioning, Author Warren Berger Says
In “The Book of Beautiful Questions,” author Warren Berger devotes a chapter to exploring why questioning should be a regular practice among leaders. As part of its January cover and CMP Series story, Convene spoke with Berger to learn how servant leadership — leading with humility — is linked to a culture of inquiry.
Wanda Johnson: ‘My Leadership Style Starts with Respect’
In November, Wanda Johnson, CMP, CAE, was appointed the CEO of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), following a 26-year career at the Endocrine Society, where she
Floral Event Attracts Budding Young Professionals, New Programming
The Society of American Florists’s 134th Annual Convention brought event and retail florists, researchers, wholesalers, growers, and suppliers to Rancho Mirage, California to learn about design education best practices, floral-crown design, and more.
Medical Meeting Challenge: Health-Care Providers are Tough Crowd
Health-care providers have high standards for the meetings they attend, according to a recent report by American Express Meetings & Events. Here’s how to influence their decision to come to yours.
How PCMA Is Supporting Business Events Organizers
PCMA is on a quest to create the best roadmap for supporting business events organizers in this time of disruption both within our industry and all around it. We are passionate about this work because we know that face-to-face meetings are catalysts for economic and social progress.
Bondi Icebergs Pool a Hot Spot in Sydney, Australia
No trip to Sydney is complete without a visit to Australia’s famous Bondi Beach and the ocean pool at Bondi Icebergs. Only 20 minutes from the city center, the pool is a great place to start or end your day while attending a conference at Australia’s newest convention center, ICC Sydney.
Bizzabo Finds ‘Pretty Big Discrepancy’ in Speaker Diversity
A new study uses AI facial-recognition technology to spotlight gender inequity among speakers at events around the world.
Amenities We Like: Omni Frisco Calls an Edible With Football-Themed Treats
The pleasure of finding a little something waiting for me in a hotel room never gets old. But the amenity delivered to my room at the Omni Frisco in Frisco, Texas, kicked the experience up a few notches. Deliciously fun, it also cleverly managed to tell a story about the property.
Talk to Your Chef, Says Devin Burns of Omni Hotels & Resorts
The Vice President of Food and Beverage at Omni Hotels & Resorts offers meetings planners advice as he discusses his own career path.
For Academic Associations, Conferences are Perfect Idea Incubators
For academic associations, conferences are perfect idea incubators, says Jennifer Fontanella of the International Studies Association.
Survey Fatigue: 4 Ways to Make the Most of Attendee Feedback
We should stop asking attendees for their feedback if we aren’t going to use it.
Tariffs Trouble: Business Events Trapped in Trade War Zone
Organizers for business events across a swath of industries are bracing for the toll tariffs will take on their shows in the next year and beyond.
5 Event Marketing Strategies to Focus on in 2019
We asked a handful of mdg’s in-house experts for resolutions to inspire your event marketing campaigns in the coming year. From leverage more behavioral data to international relationships to writing for robots, here are fives strategies to put into action.
Chick-fil-A’s Annual Meeting — More Than Company Growth on Menu
Chick-fil-A’s annual gathering of franchise operators is about more than helping attendees ring up more sales and attract more customers. The experience is equally focused on shaping their personal futures.
Brands Taking Stands: 3BL Forum Explores Corporate Activism
Corporate activism is having a transformative moment. The 3BL Forum explored the movement with a new, flexible format and an impressive roster of speakers that broached critical topics from all angles.
There’s an App for That: 11 Apps to Help Event Professionals
Organizing an event or your work life? Here are suggestions for the tech tools you’ll want on your smartphone or laptop.
Illustrations Help Speakers at Business Events Land a Visual Punch
Business guru Kjell Nordstrom carries a bold, paradigm-shifting message to audiences — and slides created by artist Patrik Instedt illustrate his points perfectly.
PCMA’s 20 in Their Twenties Class of 2019 Ready for Future
Members of PCMA’s 20 in Their Twenties class of 2019 see a bright future for the business events industry, a future to which they plan to contribute. They come from all over the world and from various sectors. But what they all have in common is a belief that technology will change the industry in the coming years.