An international association of meeting
planners started 2023 by announcing a slew of acquisitions and alliances during its flagship annual meeting this week.
PCMA, the USA-based professional
convention management association, said it had acquired the Event Leadership Institute
(ELI) to bolster its education portfolio.
ELI founder Howard Givner is now PCMA’s senior VP of
knowledge and innovation.
PCMA members will be given immediate access to
ELI’s content library of 260 video modules and webinars and receive a 20 per
cent discount on 17 certificate courses.
Speaking at Convening Leaders
2023 in Columbus, Ohio, PCMA president Sherrif Karamat said: “As of today, we
are only moving forward – blazing a trail forward with and for the global
business events community. We will innovate. We will take risks. We will get
outside our comfort zone. And we will always do it for our audiences.”
PCMA will welcome ELI’s 800 members,
subscribers, and business partners as part of PCMA’s global community, creating
more network connections for everyone.
Meanwhile PCMA has also taken
over the UK-based Event Marketing Association
EMA-UK's membership consists of 800 corporate event marketing professionals who will immediately become part of the
PCMA community. The acquisition follows PCMA’s takeover in 2020 of CEMA –
the corporate event marketing association.
EMA chair Richard Waddington said: “The opportunity
of merging into PCMA and joining forces with CEMA to grow the representation
and voice of the corporate internationally is an opportunity for EMA not to be
missed. PCMA will bring far greater resource and capability, the opportunity
for greater growth and most important far greater value for our members and
partners.”
Finally, PCMA has announced a ‘strategic
alliance’ with the USA-based trade body the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP).
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
