Blog Posts

United We Brunch! Monthly Video Chat for Members and Guests

United We Brunch! Monthly Video Chat for Members and Guests August's Topic Let's Solve Your Virtual Meeting Problems with John Chen, CEO of Geoteaming Are you working from home? Are you suffering from Zoom fatigue? Do you want the most engaging virtual meetings? John Chen, author of Engaging Virtual Meetings has been meeting virtually for over 35 years and now is sharing 6 secrets of virtual engagement. These techniques helped save a Fortune 100 conference and an attendee said this is the first Zoom where she had MORE ENERGY by the end!

August 6, 2020

PCMA Releases Business Events Compass

New PCMA Foundation Report Delivers Insights and Strategies for the Business Events Industry in the Next Normal PCMA today released Business Events Compass – an actionable framework of insights and strategies for business event professionals and their business partners to guide their careers and businesses during the pandemic and beyond. The PCMA Foundation funded report provides explicit research-based insights on geographic and industry sector business events recovery opportunities as well as recommendations for the evolution of participant engagement, business models and expected reskilling needs.

July 16, 2020

Washington State Convention Center Commits to GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation Program

Washington State Convention Center Commits to GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation Program Seattle – The Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) has announced its commitment to achieve the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation on outbreak prevention, response and recovery. Recognized as the gold standard of safe venues, GBAC STAR™ provides third-party validation to ensure the implementation of rigorous protocols in response to biorisk situations.

July 9, 2020

July United We Brunch

The PNW Chapter of PCMA believes that we can offer more value right now by supporting our members in a less formal way. We look forward to seeing you for this month’s “Brunch Talks” – Video chats, where members and guests from around the region can connect with each other.

July 2, 2020

Want to Help Make a Difference

Want to Help Make a Difference! If you are able, please lend a helping hand to our friends and colleagues who need our support during the COVID-19 crisis. 100% of our proceeds will be donated to PNW organization, Big Table, who are dedicated to helping our meetings industry family. To make your donation go even further, the PNW Chapter of PCMA will be matching up to $10,000 in donations.

June 10, 2020

Connection: Why People Struggle To See

Does anyone out there have Zoom fatigue like I do? Though it's great to see faces, why am I left unfulfilled even seeing family and friends in this manner? Too many of these calls are viewed without seeing. Video calls are exhausting, especially if we're on them for a long period of time. They require more focus than being face to face. Though we're looking at the person, we're viewing without perceiving. The definition of seeing is twofold: 1) to perceive with the eyes, and 2) to view, visit or attend as a spectator.

June 10, 2020

We hope to see you at the upcoming United We Brunch June 16th!

United We Brunch, Monthly Video Chat for Members and Guests We believe that we can offer more value right now by supporting our members in less formal way. We’re initiating monthly “Brunch Talks” - Video chats, where members and guests from around the region can connect with each other and with our chapter board members. We will share stories and ideas, pick each other’s brains about relevant topics such as virtual events, or dealing with cancellation clauses. Whatever is on your mind, we’d love to hear from you. There will not be a formal agenda, we’ll set the tone and discussion based on what the group is most interested in. We’ll evolve the concept as we go, again based on feedback from participants. The first one is schedule for Tuesday, June 16 at 11:00am.

June 4, 2020

A Message from the President

These are crazy and unprecedented times. Our industry is taking a beating and I know that not one of us will get by unscathed. I hope that, as an industry, we can return to the work we are all passionate about – planning face to face events – as soon as possible. And that, as individuals, we can recover and find new opportunities in the chaos, whatever that may look like for our families, our careers and our livelihood.

June 4, 2020

Join #EventProfs from around the world on April 14, 2020 to virtually celebrate #GMID20

Join #EventProfs from around the world on April 14, 2020 to virtually celebrate #GMID20 and help us with our attempt at the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD™ title for largest audience for a virtual conference! Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) was created to be an international forum for advocacy, awareness and celebration for the events industry, and why events mean business.

April 9, 2020

Due to recent events the March program has been postponed.

We thank you for your support and interest in our Chapter's March Program on Personal Branding with Mel Carson to be held in Bellevue on March 12th. Due to recent events this program has been postponed. Further details on rescheduling this program will be provided soon. If you have any questions please contact our Chapter Administrator, Emily at [email protected]. Thank you again for your support and we look forward to seeing you at our next program.

March 9, 2020

Registration is now open for PCMA EduCon! See you in Montréal!

REGISTER NOW Prices increase March 28 The avant-garde ideas at PCMA EduCon in Montréal will inspire you to action. Immerse yourself in tomorrow's transformative experiences with content that will kick-start your creativity. What innovations will you bring home to your events?

February 18, 2020

What Can We Do Better for You? A Message from the President

What Can We Do Better for You? A Message from the President It is my pleasure to serve alongside an amazing group of board members as the President for the Pacific Northwest Chapter of PCMA. Our goal for 2020 is simple: Provide more value to our meeting planner members.

February 10, 2020

Do you have 20/20 Vision?

By Alicia Moneyhun, VP at Planner Hero My favorite takeaway from #pcmacl 2020 was “Prepare everyone for the journey you’re headed out on and they will remain calm.” – Bozoma Saint John

February 3, 2020

End of Year Recap from our Past Chapter President Andrea Lambrecht

End of Year Recap from our Past Chapter President Andrea Lambrecht: Another year goes by and we wonder where the time flies. I feel like it was only yesterday that I was elected as your incoming president. As I reflect on the challenges and successes we had over the last year and what we were able to accomplish, it makes me optimistic for the direction that our organization is headed and what the years ahead will bring.

January 27, 2020

PCMA Convening Leaders 2020 – What I Took Away By Alicia Moneyhun, VP at Planner Hero

I attend our local chapter programs as often as my schedule permits, regardless of the topic. Connecting with people is my passion and being able to do it face-to-face is preferred. I also know that any topic can be applied to my life in some way. At PCMA Convening Leaders I was able to see longtime industry friends, make dozens of new connections and – often my favorite part – help others make new connections.

January 22, 2020

Congratulations to Carol Riddle for being recognized for her passion

A longtime member of PCMA Carol Riddle, who describes herself as a “Seasoned Account Director,” was honored by Visit Seattle this week for her passion for hospitality and Seattle. She was named to the 2020 Class of Tourism Ambassadors. Congratulations Carol!

December 13, 2019

Why Can’t We Be Friends? Written by Alicia Moneyhun | VP Sales, Planner Hero

Why Can’t We Be Friends? Why Can’t We Be Friends? Whether it is introducing planners to hotels and venues, meeting my counterparts from around the world, or even just connecting two people I know for no other purpose than I think they could benefit from knowing each other, connecting people is my passion.

September 25, 2019

Register for our annual PCMA fundraiser at The Collective today!

Register for our annual PCMA fundraiser at The Collective today! This year we are taking on a new theme, Bid and Quiz! The PNW Chapter is hosting a Knowledge Bowl in a funky new venue. It's hip to be square these days, take all that knowledge bouncing around in your head and win a trophy for your team.

September 9, 2019

Congratulations to Alicia Moneyhun!

Congratulations Alicia Moneyhun who was one of the recipients who was awarded the PNW PCMA scholarship for Convening Leaders 2020.

September 9, 2019

Congratulations to Carol Riddle!

Congratulations Carol Riddle who was one of the recipients who was awarded the PNW PCMA scholarship for Convening Leaders 2020.

August 22, 2019

Indemnification Need-to-Knows

By Barbara Dunn O’Neal, and Matthew E. Misichko For annual meetings, tradeshows or large conventions, nonprofit organizations enter into many contracts with third-party vendors to provide services such as staffing, audiovisual and transportation. All contracts for goods and services should include indemnification, an important risk management tool — and one that many in the meetings industry don’t entirely understand.

March 13, 2019

MPIWSC is offering our member rates to PCMA members if they register by April 1st

Planning Events Worthy of a President Presented by Franny Starkey Done well, events are tools used to achieve a greater goal, otherwise it’s just a waste of time and money. The job of any planner is to conceptualize and execute programs that have an impact on the message being delivered and the people being engaged and activated. After more than a decade planning events in politics for Governors, US Senators and the President and First Lady of the United States, Franny Starkey (former Senior Advisor and Director of Scheduling & Advance for Michelle Obama and current COO of Imprint Group), leads this session and shares the most important lessons she’s learned in her presidential planning career that can be embraced and applied for corporation and association planners across the country.

March 13, 2019

The Intersection of Industries, Ideas and Interests. Six Take-aways from Convening Leaders.

The Intersection of Industries, Ideas and Interests. Six Take-aways from Convening Leaders. Convening Leaders has always been a place for meeting new people and building friendships. Each year PCMA takes the idea of creating connections to a new level and this year, the education and experiences crossed boundaries of industries and ideas, appealing to attendees’ broader interests.

March 5, 2019