The Professional Convention Management Association will co-locate its International Summit at IMEX America—a hosted buyer event for the meetings industry that will launch in October 2011 in Las Vegas.
This is the third co-location that PCMA has announced this year. It will co-locate its Education Conference at AIBTM: The Americas Meetings and Events Exhibition when it debuts June 21-23, 2011, in Baltimore. Also, Virtual Edge, a meeting for meeting planners about putting on virtual events, will be co-located at PCMA’s annual meeting in Las Vegas, January 9-12, 2011.
“Co-location of compatible events offers a tremendous opportunity for PCMA to provide added value for its members and attendees,” says PCMA president and CEO Deborah Sexton. “PCMA has been strategic in selecting co-location opportunities that will not only keep attendees at the forefront of the meetings profession with the education and resources they need to position their meetings and organizations for the future, but also save them time and money in the process.”
Attendees at the International Summit will also be able to participate in the IMEX hosted buyer program. IMEX America takes place October 11-13, 2011, while the PCMA International Summit is October 13-14, 2011. Educational sessions start on the afternoon of the 13th, so PCMA attendees could schedule appointments with vendors on the morning of the 13th or come in a day early. About 150 are expected to attend the International Summit.
IMEX America hosted-buyer program will follow the same model as the IMEX show, which is held every year in Frankfurt. The model allows buyers to choose which exhibitors they want to make appointments with, and set the appointment schedule. Buyers can access personal diaries and planning tools using the IMEX online diary and appointment system.
"The profile of the PCMA International Summit delegates fits precisely with the type of buyers we are committed to hosting at IMEX America. These PCMA members all plan and organize meetings and conventions internationally and so are influential buyers of products and services both inside and outside the U.S.,” said Ray Bloom, chairman of the IMEX Group, in a press release.
"PCMA members play an important and influential role in the international marketplace, and the co-location of PCMA's International Summit with IMEX America will provide attendees with new and cutting-edge solutions to the challenges they face in conducting business globally, while offering a unique opportunity to network, make appointments, and conduct business with exhibitors and attendees from around the globe,” said PCMA’s Sexton in a press release. The 2010 International Summit was held in Toronto September 23-25.