PCMA Chair Leonard Hoops Shares His Agenda For 2024

January 30, 2024

On Jan. 10, American Psychological Association Senior Director, Meetings and Events Desirée Knight, who served as 2023 PCMA Chair, officially passed the gavel to Visit Indy President and CEO Leonard Hoops on the main stage at Convening Leaders 2024 (CL24) in San Diego. 

Hoops, the first destination marketing organization (DMO) leader to chair the association, addressed the audience, which peaked at more than 4,200 during the three-day annual event – the largest ever, according to PCMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat. 

Prior to taking the stage, Hoops sat down with us at the Visit Indy activation in The District at CL24 to share his priorities as chair of the association in 2024. Here are three highlights from our conversation about his goals.

  1. Exponential growth strategy. “PCMA right now has about 8,000 members and an engaged community of about 50,000. It's heavily North American, but our growth has been heavily driven globally,” he said. “Our goal is [that] by the end of 2030 we will go from 8,000 to 25,000 members. And here's the real kicker: Our engaged community will grow from 50,000 to 300,000.”
  2. Getting it just right. After spending the last year on a listening tour, Hoops plans to hone in on addressing member concerns – whether it’s focusing on North America versus global membership, addressing the needs of senior-level business events strategists versus the next generation of leaders or evaluating the association’s business model, which relies heavily on suppliers.
  3. Branding. “What does the PCMA brand mean … visually, strategically and its identity? PCMA used to stand for Professional Convention Management Association,” Hoops said. Today, the association touts itself as “The Platform for the Business Events Industry,” and its membership includes business events strategists and suppliers. Over the last several years, PCMA has expanded with several acquisitions, including Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA), Event Leadership Institute (ELI) and Event Marketing Association (EMA) UK. In 2023, PCMA and Gevme launched Project Spark in May and rolled out a suite of AI learning and training services for business events in September. How will those be branded going forward? Hoops said his goal is to complete an assessment and determination by the end of his term in January 2025. 

Want to know more? Listen to the full interview here.

Photo credit: Jacob Slaton, Whatever Media Group

 

Don’t miss any event-related news: Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter HERE, listen to our latest podcast HERE and engage with us on LinkedIn!

Add new comment

Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.    Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.    Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.   The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.    MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.     MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.