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PCMA educates, inspires, and listens, creating meaningful experiences where passion, purpose and commerce come together. We are the world’s largest community for Business Events Strategists, providing senior-level education, networking, and market intelligence for the global business events industry. Headquartered in Chicago, IL PCMA has 17 North American Chapters, regional communities in APAC, EMEA and LATAM, and members in 59 countries.
Our mission
To drive social and economic progress through business events.
Because of our professional experiences and our personal connections, we are in a unique position to transform the world economically and socially.
PCMA IS LEADING:
Social and economic progress
Professional and personal development
Business growth and organizational success
We were
PCMA was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the Professional Convention Management Association and previously operated from Birmingham, Alabama. Our annual signature event, CONVENING LEADERS, was first held in 1956, and PCMA formally incorporated as a non-profit in 1958. We moved our headquarters to Chicago in 2000.
Today, PCMA occupies the fifth floor of the famed Jewelers Building at 35 E. Wacker Drive.
We are
OUR MEMBERS
68%
have at least a decade of industry experience.
78%
identify as key decision-makers in their roles.
OUR BRANDS
The PCMA Foundation supports the industry through education, research and charitable giving. The Foundation funds scholarships for students, faculty and other professionals and recognizes industry accomplishments at the annual Visionary Awards.
Convene, a multi-award-winning print magazine started in 1986, is the leading publication in the business events industry with an audited circulation of 36,000 qualified meeting organizer subscribers.
A subsidiary of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), the Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) is the eminent community for senior event executives, association peers and industry partners. For more information, please visit cemaonline.com.
The Digital Experience Institute is the authority on livestreaming, digital events and hybrid meeting strategy and production. It supports the Digital Event Strategist certification.
We will be
PCMA will continue to teach the world about business events. We’ll lead the design, knowledge and information universe. We will be the platform where knowledge is shared with members through extraordinary experiences and multi-channel engagement.
We will put our members’ needs first by listening and responding, and showcasing their journeys as business events professionals. We will keep fostering conversations via events and social media to promote collaboration and innovation. We will demonstrate that membership matters by providing access to unique, specialized opportunities targeting professional growth.
We will continually underscore our commitment to positive change by taking a stand on social issues such as human trafficking. We’ll promote inclusion and diversity through our Ascent platform and encourage other industry leaders to join us with our Ascent CEO Promise.
Our value
ROOTS AND WINGS: When you join PCMA’s community, you’re connected to a well-known, established organization in addition to new ideas and people who can help you become the best business events strategist — and global citizen — you can be.
We can lead economic and social transformation with our knowledge and power. Our content influences how the industry views itself, and we inspire members and attendees to take ideas back to their own communities to make a difference.
View the bylaws
View PCMA’s Strategic Plan
PCMA is governed by an elected board of directors, and our Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization.