Experient News

April 21, 2009

Over 900 Industry Leaders Gather at PCMA Education Foundation Dinner to Celebrate the Meetings Industry’s Finest

More than $120,000 in Funding Announced for Important Research Initiatives and Scholarships

More than $90,000 Raised through Silent Auction Packages

Chicago, IL – On April 15, the 2009 PCMA Education Foundation Dinner at the Hilton Washington in Washington, D.C., attracted more than 900 meetings industry professionals to recognize the accomplishments of three remarkable individuals: Bruce Harris, CMP, John Patronski, and Tyra Hilliard, Ph.D, J.D., CMP. The dinner is designed to honor their contributions to the profession while raising funds for research, grants and scholarships benefitting the meetings industry.

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(L to R) Michael Payne, 2009 PCMA Education Foundation Chair; Deborah Sexton, PCMA President and CEO; John Patronski, 2009 Supplier Partner Honoree; Tyra Hilliard, Ph.D, J.D., CMP, 2009 Educator Honoree; Bruce Harris, CMP, 2009 Meeting Professional Honoree; and Christie Hicks, 2008 PCMA Education Foundation Chair.		(L to R) Esther Palomo-Meska, FedEx Services; John Patronski, 2009 Supplier Partner Honoree; Tyra Hilliard, Ph.D, J.D., CMP, 2009 Educator Honoree; Bruce Harris, CMP, 2009 Meeting Professional Honoree; Barbara Monk, FedEx Office; and Brad Bebell, FedEx Services.

“Each year, I look forward to the PCMA Education Foundation Dinner,” said PCMA President and CEO Deborah Sexton. ”Having worked on a personal basis with each of these honorees, it was wonderful to see them recognized by so many of their colleagues for their unparalleled passion and dedication to the meetings industry. The dinner also gave me the opportunity to update our guests on the important meetings advocacy work that PCMA is engaged in with industry leaders.”

“Being a part of this year’s Foundation Dinner was an incredible experience,” added 2009 PCMA Education Foundation Chair Michael Payne, a former Dinner honoree. “It was the perfect time to come together with colleagues to recognize the accomplishments of these outstanding individuals while raising funds that greatly benefit our industry and positions us for success in the future. I was pleased to be able to announce that the PCMA Education Foundation has agreed to fund two important research projects: a “pulse” survey on meeting planner intentions to help gauge current meeting market conditions, and the coordination of industry-wide research that will demonstrate the value of meetings to business and commerce as well as their economic impact to communities.”

For 22 years, the PCMA Education Foundation Dinner Celebrating Professional Achievement has been a must-attend event for meetings industry professionals. It continues to serve as an opportunity for scores of meetings industry colleagues to join together to recognize the significant efforts of the honorees and to advance the profession and the community.

For the second year in a row, the dinner was presented by FedEx Office.

“FedEx Office is pleased to be a part of this great event honoring the lifetime achievements of these dedicated and talented professionals in the meetings industry,” said Brad Bebell of FedEx Services. “This event reinforces the alignment between PCMA and FedEx Office through showcasing our shared values of innovation, education, and community outreach. It was through the partnership with PCMA where FedEx Office gained the market insight to implement the newly formed FedEx Office National Account Executive. This dedicated sales team will focus their efforts on assisting meeting professionals within the convention and hospitality space. In March, FedEx Office was happy to be able to offer free resume printing for those facing an unexpected job search and PCMA was right there with us, providing advertising on their Web site and a message in ThisWeek@PCMA.”

Grants and Scholarships
The grants and scholarships approved by the PCMA Education Foundation Board of Trustees at the April 15^thmeeting totaled more than $120,000 and included:

Grants (4)

Meeting Planner Intentions Survey
Economic Impact Study
Faculty Scholarships to Attend the 2010 PCMA Annual Meeting in Dallas
Exhibit Industry Carbon Project (EICP)

Scholarships (11)
Student Planner of the Year
Tamela Blalock, George Washington University

Multicultural Scholarships
Robert Hawk, Johnson & Wales University
Na hee (Cindy) Hwang, George Brown College
Jessie Joseph, Monroe College
Hyunkoyong Lee, New York University
Vanessa Perez, Monroe College

Roy B. Evans Scholarships
Allison Anthony, Penn State University
Adi Hayat, University of Central Florida, Rosen School of Hospitality Management
Allitta Hren, Ferris State University
Megan Lehn, San Francisco State University
Kristen Randazzo, Widener University

Silent Auction
The successful PCMA Foundation event also featured a Silent Auction, raising more than $90,000. This year, the auction moved completely online and enabled bidders to purchase packages before the event at a designated price through a new “Buy It Now” feature. During the Dinner event, the auction continued both onsite and online, engaging both attendees and non-attendees in fun, competitive bidding. Winning bidders left the evening knowing they were headed to Budapest, Shanghai, Hawaii, and other exotic destinations — while helping their industry carry out important work.

For more information about the PCMA Education Foundation, visit pcma.org/foundation.

The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) is the professional resource and premier educator for the meetings and convention industry. Founded in 1957, PCMA represents the interests of meeting management executives from associations, non-profit organizations, corporations, independent meeting planning companies, and multi-management firms who recognize the importance of meetings to their organization. PCMA empowers members with the tools they need to succeed as meeting professionals and to promote the value of the industry to their organizations and the general public. Headquartered in Chicago, PCMA has 16 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. For additional information, please visit the PCMA Web site at www.pcma.org.

The role of the PCMA Education Foundation is to support the mission of the PCMA through fundraising and grant giving focused on education and research that will benefit the meetings and conventions industry. Established in 1985, the Foundation supports educational programs to improve professionalism in the meetings industry and to provide a university-level meeting management curriculum. The Foundation provides educational programs for meeting managers, hotels, convention and visitors bureaus, and other members of the meetings industry. It also conducts ongoing research of industry issues and concerns. The Foundation continually designs and creates new programs to encourage the highest levels of professionalism in the meetings industry.

For press inquiries or other media relations, email marian.calvin@experient-inc.com