2019 Chairman’s Award presented to Oscar Cerezales at Convening Leaders


Gregory A. O’Dell, chair of PCMA’s Board of Directors, today announced Oscar Cerezales of MCI as the recipient of the 2019 Chairman’s Award.

Cerezales, global executive vice president for MCI, was honored for his significant contributions to PCMA and the business events industry, including his critical role in helping PCMA in building its Latin American audience. He has also co-developed strategic plans for PCMA’s regional advisory boards in the Asia-Pacific and EMEA regions. Most recently, Cerezales has designed and delivered the Leadership Summit program for c-suite and senior-level leaders at Convening Leaders 2020 in San Francisco.

“It is an honor to present the Chairman’s Award to Oscar Cerezales,” O’Dell said. “He is a dynamic leader in the global business events industry and devotes countless time to make a difference in our industry and the world. Every so often, organizations get lucky and encounter people who are passionate about the industry, and Oscar goes above and beyond giving selflessly of his time and talent every year.”

“When I joined PCMA, it was all about volunteering, I’m just trying to walk the talk,” Cerezales said, while accepting the award in San Francisco. “Thank you very much.”

The award, given during PCMA Convening Leaders 2020 by the chair of the PCMA Board of Directors, is presented to an individual, group or organization for unique achievements and contributions to the business events industry over the previous year.

Past recipients include Team PCMA; Isabel Bardient, CEO of the European Society of Cardiology; and Janet Tan-Collis, president of the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers (SACEOS) and the founder of and CEO of East West Planners in Singapore.

Convening Leaders, PCMA’s signature annual event, attracts thousands of business event professionals from around the world for leadership, education and networking opportunities. The 2020 “Reach” event is held Jan. 5-8 at the Moscone Center and hosted by San Francisco Travel Association.


For media inquiries from the Americas, APAC, EMEA and LATAM, please contact: Meghan Risch, PCMA Chief of Staff, Vice President, Corporate Communications

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PCMA, PCMA Foundation and CEMA educate, inspire, and listen, creating meaningful experiences where passion, purpose and commerce come together. We are the world’s largest community for Business Events Strategists, providing senior-level education, networking, and market intelligence for the global business events industry. Our mission is to drive social and economic progress through business events. Headquartered in Chicago, IL PCMA has 17 North American Chapters, regional communities in APAC, EMEA and LATAM, and members in 59 countries. The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA), a PCMA subsidiary, advances strategic event marketing and marketing communications for senior-level event marketers and industry professionals. Visit us at pcma.org.

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