CEMA Newsletter: November/December 2023

PCMA Taps Traci DePuy as its new Chief Marketing Officer

PCMA recently appointed Traci DePuy as its new Chief Marketing Officer. DePuy, a veteran in the events industry, brings over 15 years of experience in SaaS B2B brand strategy, event operations, and marketing management. Her previous roles at Ellucian and Salesforce, along with her insights shared at the CEMA Summit 2024, demonstrate her deep understanding of the industry’s challenges and opportunities. This appointment is expected to significantly boost PCMA and CEMA’s brand and marketing strategies.

Sherrif Karamat, President and CEO of PCMA and CEMA, expressed his enthusiasm for DePuy’s addition to the team, emphasizing her expertise in marketing and brand strategy as crucial for realizing PCMA’s 2030 vision.

DePuy herself is excited about contributing to PCMA’s growth and innovation, bringing strong skills in strategic planning, problem-solving, and team leadership to the role. Her appointment is seen as a strategic move to position PCMA as a leader in the global business events industry.

CEMA and the Event Leadership Institute in Boston

On Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 25 corporate event professionals gathered for ‘Mastering the Art of Event Measurement’. Tammy Moore Kockaya and Vinnu Deshetty led the group through presentation and exercises to apply learning to case studies.

Key takeaways:

• Invest in S.M.A.R.T. goal setting. S.M.A.R.T. = specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound.
• The alignment of goals, objectives AND KPIs is essential.
• Be a storyteller first, people are 22% more likely to comprehend. Use numbers up front and then get into the ‘how’ of your story.

Check out all of the Event Leadership Institute courses here, and remember, as a CEMA member, you receive a 20% discount on course fees. We’re looking forward to more regional programs in 2024, where our community can come together to learn and to network.

Cut Through the Noise and Create Engaging Content

In November’s CEMA educational webinar, ‘Cutting Through the Noise: Create Compelling Event Messaging and Engaging Content in the Virtual Burnout Era,’ DJ Graffiti set the energetic tone, fueling a remarkable 60% turnout from the enthusiastic CEMA community. Industry expert, Jay Schwedelson, Founder of SubjectLine.com, Outcome Media, & GURU Events, expertly guided us through the complexities of the current digital landscape, highlighting the challenge of capturing attention amid the overwhelming noise.

Jay shared many game-changing insights. One of the most compelling? Omit the term ‘webinar’ from your email subject line to increase open rates by an average of 28%. He encourages event organizers to rethink their approach to email marketing and focus on the content, not the medium. Throughout the session, Jay shared actionable strategies for crafting event messaging and standout content in a competitive digital space. Attendees left inspired to rethink their approach to B2B events, infusing enjoyment into learning without sacrificing educational value. As Jay says “B2B doesn’t have to mean boring-to-boring”.

As the event concluded, DJ Graffiti’s music encapsulated the spirit of the session, leaving attendees energized and armed with insights to reshape their event strategies in an era craving engaging experiences. For those who registered and may have missed any part of the event or wish to revisit the content, the replay link was sent in the follow-up email.

Lastly, we’d like to share a special thank you to this webinar’s sponsor, RingCentral.

Gain EIC credits for October’s Quarterly Industry Trends Briefing by Michael Dominguez

Michael’s October briefing was an enlightening overview of trends in the hospitality and events sectors, including concrete data supporting the business impact of face-to-face events and data showing a rejuvenated confidence in our industry’s trajectory. Michael stands out as a beacon in the industry, celebrated for contextualizing vital data with unparalleled market insight. Watch the briefing here.

PCMA and CEMA have been approved by the Events Industry Council (EIC) as a Preferred Provider of the below continuing education webinar which qualifies for CMP continuing education credit. Please self-report your completion of the webinar to claim credit.
EIC Status: Approved; CMP-IS Domain F: Stakeholder Management; Clock Hours: 1.0