PCMA announced two strategic alliances during its Convening Leaders 2020 conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center South that are aimed to bringing its meetings, events and incentives educational reach to a wider audience. Convening Leaders also enjoyed a 14% spike in attendance over the 2019 edition. Read more.

Former MPI CEO Bruce MacMillan has been named PCMA’s chief marketing officer, effective September 2, 2019. The organization also announced Michelle Crowley as its first chief growth and innovation officer, effective immediately.

PCMA and Destinations International announced plans to jointly launch an annual Destination Showcase event in Washington, D.C., beginning February 5, 2020. The partnership will connect meeting professionals with CVBs.

The Events Industry Council (EIC), the umbrella group representing more than 30 meetings and events industry organizations, appointed a new CEO. Amy Calvert, who currently works as senior vice president of convention sales and services for Visit Baltimore, was announced as the EIC’s new leader. Calvert replaces Karen Kotowski, who resigned from the EIC in January 2019 after 10 years leading the organization.

Meeting Planners Unite, formed to fight Marriott's commission cuts, changed its name to Alliance of Independent Meeting Professionals.

Two industry changemakers, Sarah Soliman Daudin and Courtney Stanley, have been appointed to co-chair Meeting Professionals International's (MPI's) 2019 Women’s Advisory Board, the first of its kind for the organization.

MPI announced its 2019 International Board of Directors and 2019 MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees. 

Matthias Schultze, managing director of the German Convention Bureau, was named the recipient of the Joint Meetings Industry Council’s 2018 JMIC Profile and Power Award. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing the meetings industry forward.

Washington, D.C.-based meeting planners are being offered free shuttle service to PCMA Conventing Leaders.

Three major meetings industry associations—MPI, IAEE and SITE—have banded together as the Global MICE Collaborative to provide resources for emerging destinations that want to tap into the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) market.