Say what? Can’t make it to PCMA 2014 Convening Leaders in Boston?

I have a proposition for you.
Put me to work.

In less than a week, meeting professionals will be gathered in Boston for PCMA Convening Leaders 2014. Not you? Whether due to time, budget, permission, or whatever your reason for not making it to Boston, I have proposition for you. Let me be your on-the-ground-ambassador, your eyes and ears, listening, documenting, reporting back on what matters to you and your meeting.

And here is where I’ll start…on a bus.

The Road to PCMA Convening Leaders’ (R)evolution is Paved With… Innovation?

Yes you read that correctly. The M3 Road Trip to the PCMA (R)evolution (also known as Convening Leaders 2014) started a year ago. In Orlando. In a chat room while attending the Hybrid PCMA Convening Leaders 2013. For meeting planners threatened by hybrid solutions, you should view this as the ultimate outcome!

To my surprise, I found myself chatting with people from around the globe, and – even more surprisingly – with people from my own city, Montreal. With clients, in fact. Among them was Marie Lou Coupal of JPdL.

Marie Lou and I knew we had to attend Convening Leaders 2014 in person, so we jokingly said, “We should put together a bus and bring a whole group together to head down to Boston and, while we’re at it, why not mix education and convenience?”

That idea took on a life of its own. It became the Mobile Meeting Movement with a simple goal: experimenting with a new event design and an environmentally friendly way to travel to Boston. I knew the road would be best traveled with partner Mitchell Beer of Smarter Shift for his extensive expertise in low-carbon meeting design and content marketing.

Suddenly, mobile learning had literally taken on a whole new meaning. We would offer learning on the go: an outbound and inbound workshop that will address major changes affecting our meeting industry and to answer the question that’s on everyone’s mind.

Should Your Meeting Have an Expiry Date?

This is the title to the workshop I will be co-presenting with Mitchell. It is a dramatic title, I admit, but so are the changes in our industry, don’t you think?

Some of the key questions we’ll explore are:

• Looking back, what has changed in the industry in the past five years?
• What will change in the next five years?
• Are each of us doing what we can to be prepared for those changes? If not, where do we start?

Even if you can’t join us on the bus, I’d love to hear your insights on these topics. Feel free to add them in the comments. Have a question about any of these issues? Send it my way!

Put ME to work!

To make this long story short, I’ll be in Boston next week. ☺
Put me to work, send me to sessions you wish you could attend.
(See full PCMA Convening Leaders’ Schedule)

Are you looking to get in-depth information on a specific technology at the Learning Lounge 2.0 and TechCentral? Or maybe you’re curious about the latest meeting design innovations?

Here are a few of the sessions I’ll be attending:

• Reinventing the Association Annual Meeting Through Experience Design
• TechCentral: Improving the Meeting Experience with Mobile and Wireless Technology
• TechCentral: The Future Forecast for Meeting and Event Technology: 15 Global Trends That Will Increase Attendance and Revenue
• Masters Series: Disruptive Tech: What’s New, What’s Coming & How It Will Change Everything
• Energize Your Exhibition: Innovative Design Trends from Around the World

Tell me where else to go. ASK ME.
Email me your questions or tweet me @eventsense and I’ll do my best to be your on-the-ground ambassador. You can follow my journey here: #saywhatPCMA? You’ll get a sensov/ what it is like to be at PCMA Convening Leaders. (Pun totally intended)

I look forward to meeting new people next week and to coming back with loads of ideas to help you and my clients better their events.

Watch for my post-PCMA Convening Leaders wrap-up report in January for your answers, as well as Convening Leaders news, updates and my impressions from the event.

Article by Rachel Stephan

Rachel Stephan is the owner of sensov/ event marketing. She has over 18 years of experience in marketing, advertising and creative direction in the event space.

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