There’s a famous story in my family about my insane love of reading books.  As a child, my older brother was captain of the football team in high school.  Our entire family had to go to every one of his games to support and cheer him on regardless of the weather.  There was one particular game they were playing during a ridiculously blizzard-like snowstorm.  There we all sat in the stands under blankets.   And I was literally completely underneath the blanket, secure in my fort, so that I could read my …

>You decide if this is testament to the power of meetings in general or of the TED conference in particular: As part of their viral-marketing campaign for the upcoming summer blockbuster “Prometheus,” filmmakers Ridley Scott and Damon Lindelof have released … Continue reading →

We are all quite familiar with the current state of the world economy, by now I would venture to state that each and every one of us has been impacted by the vise-like grip of the financial realities that exist today. “Cautiously Optimistic” appears to have become the nebulous conversational equivalent of a physical shrug of the shoulders.
The generational divide in today’s workforce has been the other hot topic of much discussion.  Like the Oldsmobile, this is not your fathers’ workplace.  Technology, attitude, loyalty, expectations, and communication are so completely …

> Following up on Michelle’s post about PCMA’s recent webcast spinning off the GSA controversy — I’m watching this case unspool from two different perspectives, each one maybe a little different from that of the general public: as someone who … Continue reading →

> At the Executive Experience fam trip to the Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Joe Rohde, Disney’s Chief Imagineer, described for participants what it was like to see his vision come to life. (You can read more about the fam … Continue reading →

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At the Executive Experience fam trip to the Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Joe Rohde, Disney’s Chief Imagineer, described for participants what it was like to see his vision come to life. (You can read more about the fam trip in our April issue.)
Last June, Executive Editor Chris Durso talked to Rohde about the creative development process he led in creating the resort’s design. You can read that interview here.

>Last week’s media storm over reports of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) lavish Las Vegas conference for government employees served as the jumping-off point for a PCMA Webcast, Meeting Value & Strategic Measurement. It might have been the reason why … Continue reading →

There’s been a great deal of conversation in our Chairman’s blog in the last few days about the recent news about the General Services Administration – the Inspector General’s report, GSA’s response, and especially the media coverage. While many different opinions have been expressed, I think the dialogue is healthy – and it demonstrates the passion this PCMA community has for our profession.
In the wake of all this conversation, few things are immediately clear…. Our professional convention management standards are more important than ever. And yes, our business is constantly …

> Storm damage in Henryville. State Farm photo. On March 2, an historic outbreak of storms unleashed dozens of  tornadoes in 11 southern and central states, killing more than 40 and injuring hundreds more. That was on a Friday. By … Continue reading →

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Storm damage in Henryville. State Farm photo.

On March 2, an historic outbreak of storms unleashed dozens of  tornadoes in 11 southern and central states, killing more than 40 and injuring hundreds more.

That was on a Friday. By Monday, the Cincinnati-based George Fern Exposition and Event Services had set up a fund to help storm victims through the Red Cross. The company made an initial contribution of $5,000 and pledged to match employee contributions until March 31. (By the end of March, the total had reached $11,000.)

“The tornadoes hit two of our …