PCMA’s Convening Leaders Annual Meeting Breaks Attendance Records in Chicago
January 22, 2015
It may have been cold in Chicago in the second week of January, but that didn’t stop a record amount of attendees from coming to the Windy City for the Professional Convention Management Association’s Convening Leaders annual meeting.
From Jan. 11-14, there were 4,128 convention managers and suppliers who packed McCormick Place West, taking part in educational sessions, keynotes and a bevy of networking and charity events throughout the city.
The 2015 event topped the 2014 record-breaking one in Boston, which drew nearly 4,000 attendees.
“This year’s program was designed to challenge the most respected leaders in the industry to embrace the spirit of innovation and risk-taking,” said Deborah Sexton, president and CEO, PCMA.
She added, “Our audience showed that, without a doubt, they are ready to accept that challenge and elevate the next generation of meetings, conferences and events.”
There were wide range of keynotes, including long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad talking about what it took to swim from the U.S. to Cuba, to Dan Pallotta, founder and chief humanity officer for Advertising for Humanity, advising the audience to rethink the way they give to charities.
Besides the high-caliber keynotes, there also were education sessions that spanned everything from the idea of “Un-Marketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging” to “Be Proactive Not Reactive to Global Meeting Trends in 2015”.
“We aimed to give our attendees more than education credits,” Kelly Peacy, senior vice president, Education and Events, PCMA, said.
She added, “The roadmap served as a path from inspiring big-picture general session concepts to specific intimate courses with personal and practical takeaways. When our attendees return home, we want them to be able to take what they learned at Convening Leaders and immediately adapt it to their own organizations.”
There also were some other learning opportunities offered outside of the education tracks, including the PCMA Learning Lounge that featured, among other activities, Q&A sessions with keynotes and thought leaders and TechCentral at which attendees could learn about new technology.
Beyond the more than 4,000 attendees who made it to the face-to-face event, there also were another 1,000-plus form 33 countries who took part in the PCMA Convening Leaders Hybrid Event.
“We made no little plans with our hybrid meeting,” Mary Reynolds Kane, senior director, experience marketing, PCMA, says. “This year, we streamed 13 sessions over three days for a full taste of what Convening Leaders offers.”
Reynolds Kane and the PCMA hybrid meeting team infused a virtual networking element to each day of the program, too, with an online happy hour at the end of each day that allowed virtual participants to stay logged on and continue their chat discussions.
PCMA has a major focus on giving back, so there also were plenty of chances to do just that at the annual meeting as well.
Just a few of the events included more than 1,200 attendees taking part in the 22nd year of PCMA’s Party with a Purpose that benefitted Future Founders, Network for the Needy® & PCMA Education Foundation and PCMA’s Hospitality Helping Hands Program that drew 120 individuals to help out at the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
Next year’s PCMA Convening Leaders already is in the works, set for Jan. 10-13 in Vancouver, B.C.
Partner Voices
HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates.
Water Stewardship Efforts
MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship.
In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step.
MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas.
MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030.
From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts.
Caring for One Another
MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include:
Unserved perishable prepared foods from events
Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens
Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses
The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
MGM Resorts understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.
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