This is not your Grandma’s conference learning strategy.
Traditional conference strategies of attendees sitting passively, listening to a talking head is out. Seeing your conference attendees as participants, co-creators, experts and advocates is in.
In the digital age, people are learning in new ways that are both communal and autonomous. They contribute to Wikipedia, comment on blogs and teach themselves programming. They follow links and discuss issues in online chats. All of these acts are collaborative and democratic, and all occur amid a worldwide community of voices.
So how does this affect the …

I had the honor of traveling throughout Mexico in May with some spectacular PCMA members to talk about PCMA membership and trends in the meetings industry.

For this incredible dedication to PCMA and the industry I recognize:

Johnnie White, Cardiovascular Research Foundation
Leigh Wintz, Soroptomists International of the Americas
Dean Martin, Microsoft
David Peckinpaugh, HelmsBriscoe
Gary Schirmacher, Experient

We didn’t just hit one city – we traipsed the entire country. Starting in Cancun, traveling to Mexico City and finally in Cabo San Lucas…all over a four day period.

Many thanks to Jesus Aparicio, Eventia for his personal attention …

I travel a lot for my job. Not as much as some, but more than others…roughly 8-10 trips per year. Many times I’m traveling by myself and for my entire career I have not had any concerns of “traveling alone.” A couple years ago one of my teenage nieces asked me if I didn’t get scared being in a hotel by myself. She asked, “Aren’t you afraid to stay in a hotel by yourself? Aren’t you afraid that something bad is going to happen to you?”Seriously, …