MPI and PCMA Announce New Partnerships (Not with Each Other)

New meetings industry alliances drive expanded audiences and educational collaborations.

This week, the meetings industry’s two leading associations—Meeting Professionals International and the Professional Convention Management Association—each announced an educational partnership with another meetings-related group. MPI has aligned with the American Society of Association Executives, and PCMA is now working with the Corporate Event Marketing Association.

MPI’s collaboration with ASAE is focused on experience design topics. The associations have announced that their partnership will benefit four specific educational programs in 2020: MPI will provide education for ASAE’s Xperience Design Project, May 19-20, and ASAE’s annual conference on Experience Design, August 8-11. ASAE will offer education for association attendees at MPI’s World Education Conference, June 6-9, and the associations will work together “on possible key programs” for IMEX Association Day, September 14.

PCMA’s new two-year alliance with CEMA calls for “collaboration and cross promotion through educational initiatives to help increase brand presence and membership.” CEMA will help to develop education for PCMA’s four signature events: Convening Leaders, EduCon, European Influencers Summit, and the Asia-Pacific Annual Conference. PCMA will deliver education at the annual CEMA Summit and during CEMA Study Tours. In addition, both organizations will collaborate on webinars and other services. PCMA also has strategic agreements with Asia-Pacific Incentives Meetings Events (AIME), International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), COCAL, Destinations International, and others.
“PCMA has a commitment to bringing its members access to leading edge education and content that helps them deliver economic and social transformation through business events,” said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA’s president and CEO. “This strategic alliance with CEMA allows us to deliver more resources to our members while expanding our audience so we can continue to demonstrate how business events transform global economies and societies.”