LAS VEGAS – PCMA took a stand and continued its successful Convening Leaders Conference (CL22) — held Jan. 9-12 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas.
Health and safety were at the forefront, but as with any large gathering, cases of infection are a reality. The organization sent out an email stating that as of January 11, there were five positive cases of COVID-19, and those individuals have turned in the required badges to enter all sessions and side events.
“Right here in Las Vegas, we have 2,500 people in person and 600 online. And I’m thrilled,” said Sherrif Karamat, CEO of PCMA.
Respectable when you compare these figures to its 2019 gathering which attracted 3,895 participants.
Caesars Forum, a 550,000-square-foot conference center in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, hosted the gathering. “Caesars Entertainment was proud to successfully host a PCMA Executive Meeting last week. Bringing together over 2,500 people from our industry in person in a safe and meaningful way is an opportunity to reconnect, learn and grow as an industry, and Caesars Forum was the perfect venue for that,” said Lisa Messina, Senior Vice President, Caesars Entertainment.
All attendees present on-site were required to show proof of vaccination, which was facilitated by Safe Expo, a full-service health safety monitoring company, before and after the event via an online platform. Masks were mandatory.
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The PCMA successfully pivoted when Dan Levy, the star and co-creator of “Schitt’s Creek,” who was set to open CL22, announced that he had a conflict of interest and could not serve as the keynote speaker for the opening session. Less than a week before, it was announced that Ronan Farrow, the Pulitzer Prize- and Peabody Award-winning investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author, would replace Levy.
Farrow hosted the evening by explaining how events are changing the world for the better, especially as misinformation in the media continues to be a real problem. A surprise performance by singer and dancer Paula Abdul added an extra dose of excitement.
With corporate social responsibility always at the forefront, Hospitality Helping Hands participants helped provide books to hundreds of children at 62 schools in the Las Vegas area. Working with Spread the Word Nevada, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting childhood literacy in low-income areas, volunteers sifted through 10,000 children’s books, ensuring they were in optimal condition, and then boxed them up. The PCMA Foundation also donated $10,000 to Spread the Word Nevada.
Highlights of the conference included a session on how the digital experience has changed, and another with new PCMA Board Chairman Charles Starks, president and CEO of Music City Center, on how the industry must move forward with a focus on innovation, education and collaboration.
The PCMA 2022 Convening Leaders attracted destination leaders from around the world. Mark Tester, Executive Director of the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), and Casandra Matej, President and CEO of Visit Orlando, took the main stage during one of the general sessions.
“Being on the main stage and participating in this year’s Convening Leaders was important to show that our industry is united, capable of hosting safe events, innovating and changing the way we do business for our clients,” Tester said. “The power of face-to-face meetings couldn’t be more relevant in this new world, especially with the supply chain issues, new health protocols and competitive staffing challenges many of us in the industry are facing. The exchange of ideas and best practices is best done in person.”
Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organization for Washington, DC, was also in attendance. “We recognize that the pandemic continues to cause uncertainty, but we remain committed to hosting in-person meetings and are pleased to be at PCMA, where we all feel the value of face-to-face meetings,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of DDC. “DC is committed to returning to business with all necessary health and safety measures in place, and as a tourism office, our staff is committed to helping clients navigate current guidelines to host a successful event. With 20 events planned across the city this year, I remain optimistic about the recovery, as well as the positive economic impact and local jobs that come with meetings and events.”
Discover Puerto Rico was also in attendance and was happy to share statistics on its record-breaking 2021. Brad Dean, DMO CEO and the US Travel Association’s 2021 Tourism Executive of the Year, provided details on a $185 million entertainment complex and a celebration of San Juan’s 500th anniversary.
Contact Sheriff Karamat at skaramat@pcma.org; Lisa Messina at lmessina@caesars.com; Mark Tester at mark.tester@occc.net; Casandra.Matej@VisitOrlando.com; elliott.ferguson@destinationdc.com
