Leadership Expert Sara Ross to Open Destination Showcase 2020


Education meets exhibition in Destinations International, PCMA enhanced event

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 12, 2019) – Destinations International and PCMA today unveiled the start of what’s to come in future Destination Showcases, aiming to make the event the most valuable business events industry educational and networking experience in Washington, D.C.

Sara Ross, co-founder of BrainAMPED, will deliver the keynote presentation for the Feb. 5 event at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Ross mixes “street science” with research to understand what makes high-performing leaders successful and was a highly rated speaker from 2019 PCMA EduCon.

“Destination Showcase is Washington, D.C.’s only one-day event for convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and event organizers to come together for a full day of education and future meeting planning,” said Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International. “It is also an opportunity for communicating the extensive services CVBs provide to event organizers throughout the entire meeting planning process.”

Destination Showcase, now in its 32nd year, is a signature event for Washington, D.C.-based Destination International. In July 2019, the organization entered a joint venture with PCMA for the evolution of Destination Showcase to better connect business event organizers and CVBs to leverage the capabilities of cities to deliver successful meetings and events.

“Collaboratively with Destinations International we have made the first step in designing a program that will help business events strategists deliver transformational experiences for their organizations, participants and host communities,” said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA president and CEO. “PCMA and Destinations International are business events leaders and together we are going to elevate the Destination Showcase experience in 2020.”

Education programming will focus on the business of events; audience acquisition and engagement; and leadership and inclusivity. Speakers include author and leadership consultant Selena Rezvani; event-design educator Brian Avery and motivator and ex-professional magician Tim David.

Registration and exhibit sales information:

Event Organizer Registration: Complimentary registration for qualified event organizers includes the keynote address and tradeshow only. Event organizers may register online.

Exhibitor Registration: CVBs are invited to participate in the event through one of the several exhibit or sponsorship packages at destinationsinternational.org/showcase.


For all media inquiries, additional comment and request for interviews, please contact:

Destinations International
Caitlyn Blizzard
[email protected]
Tel: 1.202.835.4202

About Destinations International

Destinations International is the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards. Destinations International is about serving destination marketing professionals first and foremost. Together with more than 5,000 professional members and partners from nearly 600 destinations in 13 countries, Destinations International represents a powerful forward-thinking, collaborative association; exchanging bold ideas, connecting innovative people and elevating tourism to its highest potential. For more information, visit destinationsinternational.org.


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.

About CEMA

The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) is the eminent community for senior event executives, association peers and industry partners and is an integral component of the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) brand collective. CEMA promotes professional networking opportunities, facilitates peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and drives industry standards. Through strong relationships with strategic partners, CEMA fosters both finding innovative solutions to business issues and continuous focus on members’ career growth. For more information, please visit http://www.cemaonline.com.

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