PCMA ADVANCES 2030 VISION WITH NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 

Investments in products, services, research, and community experiences intended to elevate the role of business events as drivers of economic and social progress 

CHICAGO, IL – PCMA continues to advance its role as the global platform for the business events community by investing in the people, insights, and innovations that will define the future of the industry. As the business events landscape continues to evolve at an accelerated pace, PCMA is taking deliberate steps to ensure the community is not only prepared for what’s next but positioned to lead it.  

Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA and CEMA President & CEO noted, “In a time when our industry is being reshaped by rapid change, advancing our profession requires more than adaptation—it demands intentional investment in the capabilities that will define future leadership. That is why we are strengthening our focus on education, research, and strategic insights. By equipping our community with advanced certifications, executive-level learning experiences, and data-driven intelligence, we are enabling business events professionals to move beyond execution and into influence—driving measurable impact for their organizations and the global economy.” 

Research and Consulting

PCMA Insights, a new intelligence arm, is a suite of knowledge offerings designed to empower business events strategists with actionable intelligence and customized solutions. This initiative further expands PCMA’s role as a strategic partner for the global business events community. Introduced in early April, this new division includes five industry sector reports. All reports, developed in collaboration with MCI, are complimentary for PCMA and CEMA members.  

The PCMA Outlook 2026 Report is now available and can be accessed here. What sets this Report apart is its unique approach of analyzing the industry through three sectors — Corporate, Association, and Destination — treating each one independently to reflect its specific realities and strategic horizons. 

Throughout the remainder of the year, four industry sector Reports, including financial services, health care and life sciences, information and communication technology, and retail will become available.  

New Certification

The Business Event Strategist Certification (BES) highlights how to shape strategy, influence stakeholders and guide critical investment decisions. The BES demonstrates that a leader does not simply deliver events – that leader drives enterprise results. The application and required criteria are available here.  The BES Certification is designed for: 

• Directors, senior managers, and vice presidents with 10+ years of experience in the business events industry, including 5+ years in a leadership role (leading direct reports and/or event teams), and 5+ years of leading the business and financial aspects of a team (including department and/or event P&L responsibilities) and 3+ years in a strategic role. 
• Professionals who have moved from tactical delivery to enterprise influence. 
• Leaders seeking to strengthen their candidacy for C-suite advancement. 

Education

The PCMA Institute, formerly the Event Leadership Institute, issued the 7th edition of the Professional Meeting Management (PMM7) textbook, last updated in 2015. This latest update addresses the global business events community’s dramatic transformation over the last 10 years. PMM7 features refreshed content across all major domains, including project management, marketing, risk and crisis management, onsite operations, and sustainability. This latest edition also includes stronger integration of current tools and technologies, contemporary examples from today’s meetings landscape, updated alignment with the 2025 CMP-International Standards, and expanded instructor support materials. PMM7 is available in both print and digital formats.