Retired General Colin L. Powell will be the keynote speaker at the 41st Annual Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Meeting, January 8 to 11 in San Antonio, TX. In the session, sponsored by Renaissance Hotels International, Powell will address the challenges facing planners as they contend with the ever-changing meetings industry.
One major challenge facing planners-the seller's market-will be the focus of the second general session, "Is There Room at the Inn for Association Meetings?" The interactive meeting will be broadcast to Marriott hotels nationwide via the Marriott Videoconference Network. Members of the hospitality community are invited to attend. Topics ranging from technology to housing will be covered in more than 80 other programs.
Online information about the meeting is now available at http://www.pcmaconf.com.
In other PCMA news:
* Executive vice president Roy Evans, Jr. received an award from the Alabama Association of CVBs for his advocacy of hospitality training for low-skilled workers.
* Elise A. Galka, CMP, was named PCMA's director of meeting services. She will coordinate all PCMA and Education Foundation meetings. She has a multifaceted background in the hospitality industry, most recently as conference services manager at the Westin Mission Hills Resort, Rancho Mirage, CA.
* A Southern California chapter has been formed, serving PCMA members in southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii.
* The third edition of Professional Meeting Management has been released. New chapters include information on the Americans with Disabilities Act, adult learning, "green" meetings, and technology. The cost: $49.95 for members ($54.95 otherwise), plus $4.50 for shipping. For information, call PCMA at (205) 978-3082.