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CONVENING LEADERS 2026 TO HONOR HISTORY WHILE RESHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE GLOBAL BUSINESS EVENTS COMMUNITY
Celebrating PCMA’s 70th Anniversary in the City of its First Conference
Convening Leaders 2026 to Feature Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, as Main Stage Keynote Speaker
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – Convening Leaders 2026(CL26) will mark a milestone moment as PCMA celebrates its 70th anniversary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the city where the association held its first conference in 1956. The annual gathering will celebrate the association’s history while focusing on the bold ideas, strategies, and innovation shaping the future of the global business events community.
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist and one of the world’s most influential voices on global economics and policy, will deliver the Main Stage keynote on Monday, January 12.
Minton Beddoes, the first female editor in The Economist’s 182-year history will inspire participants to explore the intersection of business, AI and innovation – an essential dialogue as the business events industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace.
Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA and CEMA President & CEO stated, “As we return to our founding city, CL26 is both a celebration and a call to action to reshape what’s possible for the next generation of the global business events community. Ms. Minton Beddoes will undoubtedly provide participants with the geopolitical and economic context we need to make strategic decisions amidst the current economic climate.”
CL26 is scheduled for January 11-14. Registration is open. Members only registration rates conclude September 18, 2025.
For media inquiries from the Americas, APAC, EMEA and LATAM, please contact: Meghan Risch, PCMA Chief of Staff, Vice President, Corporate Communications 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 72 countries and communities. 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. The role of the Foundation of PCMA is to support the mission of PCMA through fundraising and grant-giving focused on scholarships, education and research that will advance the business events industry. Annually the Foundation funds over $900K in impact, and since 1985 has funded over 2,500 scholarships, 100 research studies and education programs, and $2.7M in charitable giving.About PCMA
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