Over 11 Countries Gather at PCMA’s Global Professionals Conference in Paris as Association Continues Activities across Europe


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alex Tunney at Davies Tanner
Tel: +44 1892 619100 Email: [email protected]

CHICAGO, IL, September 5, 2016 – The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) held its second conference of the year in Europe, this time in Paris at the Palais des Congrès de Paris, 30 August – 1 September 2016 focusing on leading global associations.

The invite-only program – the 4th in this annual series – provided a platform that challenged assumptions and exchanged ideas amongst global event strategists that execute meetings in Europe, giving them tangible ideas on how to work better in the region. It also connected event organisers to key partners in their success from convention centres and convention bureaux from the European region.

Headlining speakers included Erin Meyer, professor at INSEAD and author of global business guide – The Culture Map, President of the European Money and Finance Forum, Catherine Lubochinsky and Pierre-Henri Guignard, Secretary General, COP21 who together covered content on; cross-cultural communication, country specific education on economic drivers, intellectual capital, currency fluctuation and financial management as well as presenting a case study surrounding ‘Managing Risk’ for the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.

The senior level association event strategists in attendance were from the medical, financial, science and technology sectors, all with past and future business planned in the region, this coupled with representatives from many of Europe’s industry suppliers, tourism organizations, convention bureaus and venues and the magnificent backdrop of Paris provided for the most interactive and engaging learning experience.

The event follows the PCMA’s Global Corporate Summit which took place in July in Barcelona and a partnership with The Meetings Show in June in the UK. It is part of a continued initiative to further expand the association’s growth in Europe, delivering innovative education and inspiring the business events community.

Speaking following the Paris conference, Deborah Sexton, FASAE, President & CEO, PCMA explained; “Through the wealth of some great keynote speaker sessions, the Global Professionals Conference in Paris gave participants a deeper understanding of the opportunities available throughout Europe and how to maximize business events in the region.  The program is designed for high level exchange of experiences and group workshop formats, allowing for expertise to be shared and solutions to be developed.  In addition to further reaching out to this audience, the events we have hosted in Europe this Summer have all aimed to provide high quality education and networking opportunities for business event strategists.”

In the words of Michel Dessolain, CEO of Viparis, ” By hosting PCMA’s Global Professionals Conference in Paris, Viparis is proud to contribute to the city’s success so far and to participate in Paris’ ambitious projects for the future. We are looking forward 2018, with the opening of the Paris Convention Centre within the Porte de Versailles exhibition complex; to provide an optimal setting for the very largest events.

The 2017 PCMA Global Professionals Conference will rotate to Asia Pacific and take place 29 – 31 August, in Bangkok,Thailand.


For media queries from the Americas, APAC, EMEA, and requests for interviews with Sherrif Karamat, please contact: Meghan Risch, PCMA Chief of Staff, Vice President, Corporate Communications

About PCMA

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.

About PCMA Foundation

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 $700K in impact, and since 1985 has funded over 2,500 scholarships, 100 research studies and education programs, and $2.7M in charitable giving.

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