PCMA wants to be the ‘go to’ organization for meetings industry education and trends"—-that’s the headline from a PCMA press release about the association’s Leadership and Governance Conference held June 15 to 17 at New York City’s Sheraton Hotel and Towers, where volunteer leaders "provided input into strategic priorities."
Well, duh. I didn’t think they were aiming to be the "stay-away-from" organization. Sorry, I’m a little cranky today, and that association-speak makes me crazy. But once I got past all the strategic priorities, market share, and cutting edges, it sounds like they actually have a few really good ideas on the menu. Such as:
-If "giving new emphasis" means what I think it does, PCMA should be offering more education aimed at senior-level professionals, rather than aiming mainly to the mid-level and beginners.
-PCMA also will look into "increased affiliation with other groups of meeting professionals." The same day, I got another press release that indicates this is already starting: "NSA is providing the 16 PCMA chapters in the United States and Canada with a resource list of speakers who are willing to provide gratis speeches tailored to the education needs of chapter members. PCMA chapters will access the speakers through the PCMA Web site. To date, more than 200 NSA speakers have volunteered to be listed." Good job, guys! I’m curious to see what other partnerships you scare up.
-Education will "include a continuum of core competencies for lifelong learning and a tool that individuals can use to assess their skills throughout their careers." A great idea whose time has definitely come.
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