5 Hot Takes from PCMA Convening Leaders

Published On: February 21st, 2022

From January 9-12, 2022, members of the Bizzabo events team hit Las Vegas for PCMA Convening Leaders, a flagship event focused on education and networking. In this article, we’ll share some of what we learned.

Appropriately, the theme of PCMA Convening Leaders was “Where to next?” and the event focused on three Cs: community, content, and commerce. In addition to the highly interactive in-person event, PCMA also offered a virtual option, which included the keynotes and the ability to participate, connect, and interact from anywhere in the world.

5 Hot Takes from PCMA Convening Leaders

You’ve heard us talk about many of these points before, including in our predictions for 2022 and beyond, but these bear repeating:

  1. Hybrid is working. It’s working so well, in fact, that hybrid events are here to stay.
  2. Health and safety protocols and policies are and will continue to be top priorities — even when we get to a post-COVID reality.
  3. Attendees are more meticulous than ever about what events they attend, so you have to prove value and purpose to attract participants.
  4. Climate change is real and will impact the events industry in a big way. With a return to in-person events, sustainability will become a hotter topic.
  5. Attendees expect organizations to include a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy and plan in their event strategies.

 

According to Sherrif Karamat, CEO of PCMA, 2,300 people attended the event in Las Vegas and 600 attended virtually. For those who were worried about the spread of the Omicron variant at such a large event, the good news is that, as of January 25, only 96 positive COVID-19 cases (4% of attendees) had been reported to PCMA — all with mild symptoms. Here are some other attendee numbers worth mentioning:

  • 47% have 20+ years of industry experience
  • 10% are CEOs
  • 10% hold positions in the C-suite
  • 10% hold upper-level management positions
  • 29% hold director-level position

Editor’s note: Melanie Reid, Senior Event Experience Manager, and Sarah North, Director of Event Experiences, contributed to this article. | Original article

Ready to captivate your audience with creative solutions?

Talk to us today!