Food waste remains one of the most persistent—and solvable—challenges facing the events industry. In this Convene Talk episode, the team unpacks Convene’s April cover story on food waste, exploring new research from recent business events, real-world lessons from planners, venues, and chefs, and why communication may be just as important as measurement. From right-sizing portions and rethinking abundance to aligning stakeholders across the entire event lifecycle, this conversation highlights practical strategies that can reduce environmental impact, control costs, and reshape how attendees experience food at meetings and conferences.

Links:

·       April Cover Story - Coming to the Table: https://www.convene-digital.org/convene/library/page/april_2026/52/

·       How to Make Your Biggest Line Item Have the Greatest Impact: https://www.pcma.org/podcast-make-your-biggest-line-item-have-greatest-impact/

Get News Junkie: https://www.pcma.org/campaign/news-junkie/ 

Meet the Convene Editors: https://www.pcma.org/contact/ 

·      Michelle Russell, Editor in Chief

·      Barbara Palmer, Deputy Editor

·      Jennifer N. Dienst, Senior Editor

·      Kate Mulcrone, Managing Digital Editor

·      Magdalina Atanassova, Digital Media Editor

Follow Convene:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pcma-convene/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcmaconvene/ 

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Medium: https://medium.com/@convenemagazine 

X: https://x.com/pcmaconvene  

Contact Information: For any questions, reach out to Magdalina Atanassova, matanassova(at)pcma(dot)org.

Sponsorships and Partnerships: Reach 36,000 qualified meeting organizers with Convene, the multi-award-winning magazine for the business events industry. Contact our sales team: https://www.pcma.org/advertise-sponsorship/

Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra 

This association for groundskeepers makes it a practice to co-locate their annual event with a trade show, doubling the educational and networking opportunities for attendees.

Written and read by Michelle Russell, editor in chief of Convene.

Read the Article: 

Grounds for Gathering: https://www.pcma.org/grounds-for-gathering/

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Medium: https://medium.com/@convenemagazine 

X: https://x.com/pcmaconvene  

Subscribe to our newsletters: pcma.org/subscribe-to-pcma-emails 

Contact Information: For anything podcast-related, reach out to Magdalina Atanassova, matanassova(at)pcma(dot)org.

Sponsorships and Partnerships: Reach 36,000+ qualified meeting organizers with Convene, the multi-award-winning magazine for the business events industry. Contact our sales team: https://www.pcma.org/advertise-sponsorship/

Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra

Travel volatility, geopolitics, and safety concerns are changing how meetings are planned. The Convene team discusses what it means for planners, destinations, and the future of global events.

Links:

·       Rotary Convention Moves From Honolulu to Dubai to Barcelona: https://meetings.skift.com/2026/04/15/rotary-convention-moves-from-honolulu-to-dubai-to-barcelona/

·       Think Airfares Are High? Brace Yourself for Bag Fees and Fuel Surcharges.: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/travel/airfare-bag-fees-fuel-surcharges.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZlA.VTGc.XWa_FKvDykjM&smid=nytcore-ios-share

·       PCMA 2026 Outlook Report: https://www.pcma.org/pcma-insights/

·       Airfare Hikes Are Another Blow to Strained Meeting Budgets: https://meetings.skift.com/2026/03/25/airfare-hikes-are-another-blow-to-strained-meeting-budgets/?utm_source=ask_skift

·       Trump slump? Attendance plummets at some science meetings, but others hold steady: https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-slump-attendance-plummets-some-science-meetings-others-hold-steady 

·       War in Iran Likely to Impact Summer Travel Costs: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-04-11/war-in-iran-likely-to-impact-summer-travel-costs-video

Get News Junkie: https://www.pcma.org/campaign/news-junkie/ 

Meet the Convene Editors: https://www.pcma.org/contact/ 

·      Michelle Russell, Editor in Chief

·      Barbara Palmer, Deputy Editor

·      Jennifer N. Dienst, Senior Editor

·      Kate Mulcrone, Managing Digital Editor

·      Magdalina Atanassova, Digital Media Editor

Follow Convene:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pcma-convene/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcmaconvene/ 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@pcmaconvene 

Medium: https://medium.com/@convenemagazine 

X: https://x.com/pcmaconvene  

Contact Information: For any questions, reach out to Magdalina Atanassova, matanassova(at)pcma(dot)org.

Sponsorships and Partnerships: Reach 36,000 qualified meeting organizers with Convene, the multi-award-winning magazine for the business events industry. Contact our sales team: https://www.pcma.org/advertise-sponsorship/

Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra 

Sometimes, difficult discourse isn’t about sharing conflicting perspectives but addressing serious issues your group shares in common. An Opening General Session that acknowledges the challenges your community is experiencing while also uplifting them may require more than a nice speech by an earnest speaker. For the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference, it took a primal scream — and a few animals.

Written and read by Michelle Russell, editor in chief of Convene.

Read the Article: 

Setting the Stage for Difficult Conversations at Events: https://www.pcma.org/setting-the-stage/

Follow Convene:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pcma-convene/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcmaconvene/ 

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Medium: https://medium.com/@convenemagazine 

X: https://x.com/pcmaconvene  

Subscribe to our newsletters: pcma.org/subscribe-to-pcma-emails 

Contact Information: For anything podcast-related, reach out to Magdalina Atanassova, matanassova(at)pcma(dot)org.

Sponsorships and Partnerships: Reach 36,000+ qualified meeting organizers with Convene, the multi-award-winning magazine for the business events industry. Contact our sales team: https://www.pcma.org/advertise-sponsorship/

Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra

In this Interview, deputy editor Barbara Palmer talks with Nir Hindie, entrepreneur, educator, and creator of the Business Artistry leadership approach ahead of his keynote at Convening LATAM. They explore how an artist’s mindset can transform events, leadership, and business culture. Nir shares why creativity alone isn’t enough — and how designing for emotion, meaning, and human experience can turn events into moments people truly remember.

Links:

Register for Convening LATAM: https://conveninglatam.org/

Follow Convene:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pcma-convene/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcmaconvene/ 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@pcmaconvene 

Medium: https://medium.com/@convenemagazine 

X: https://x.com/pcmaconvene  

Contact Information: For any questions, reach out to Magdalina Atanassova, matanassova(at)pcma(dot)org.

Sponsorships and Partnerships: Reach 36,000 qualified meeting organizers with Convene, the multi-award-winning magazine for the business events industry. Contact our sales team: https://www.pcma.org/advertise-sponsorship/

Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra

A new movement to give people tools to have more productive and humane disagreements is gaining ground.

Written and read by Michelle Russell, editor in chief of Convene.

Read the Article: 

‘Disagree With Ideas, Don’t Dehumanize People’: https://www.pcma.org/disagree-with-ideas-dont-dehumanize-people/

Follow Convene:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pcma-convene/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcmaconvene/ 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@pcmaconvene 

Medium: https://medium.com/@convenemagazine 

X: https://x.com/pcmaconvene  

Subscribe to our newsletters: pcma.org/subscribe-to-pcma-emails 

Contact Information: For anything podcast-related, reach out to Magdalina Atanassova, matanassova(at)pcma(dot)org.

Sponsorships and Partnerships: Reach 36,000+ qualified meeting organizers with Convene, the multi-award-winning magazine for the business events industry. Contact our sales team: https://www.pcma.org/advertise-sponsorship/

Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra

In this Interview, we talk with Dr Sandra Peter and Dr Kai Riemer, co-authors of the 2026 Skills Horizon report, about why we have entered a “decade of disorientation” and what that means for event leaders. Ahead of their keynote at Convening APAC, they explore values and trust shifts, four key clashes, the “blobs” of future skills, and what grounded leadership looks like now. 

Links:

Download The 2026 Skills Horizon: https://plus.sydney.edu.au/horizon/

Sydney Executive Plus, The University of Sydney Business School: https://plus.sydney.edu.au/

Register for Convening APAC: https://conveningapac.org/ 
 

Follow Convene:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pcma-convene/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcmaconvene/ 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@pcmaconvene 

Medium: https://medium.com/@convenemagazine 

X: https://x.com/pcmaconvene  

Contact Information: For any questions, reach out to Magdalina Atanassova, matanassova(at)pcma(dot)org.

Sponsorships and Partnerships: Reach 36,000 qualified meeting organizers with Convene, the multi-award-winning magazine for the business events industry. Contact our sales team: https://www.pcma.org/advertise-sponsorship/

Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra

Budget cuts, visa headaches, and a six-week government shutdown in the U.S. proved to be no match for STEM and government meeting planners — and one innovative educator who understands the value of conferences.

Written and read by Kate Mulcrone, digital managing editor at Convene.

Read the Article: 

How 3 Different Meetings Outmaneuvered Shifting Political Winds: https://www.pcma.org/outmaneuvering-shifting-political-winds/

Follow Convene:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pcma-convene/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcmaconvene/ 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@pcmaconvene 

Medium: https://medium.com/@convenemagazine 

X: https://x.com/pcmaconvene  

Subscribe to our newsletters: pcma.org/subscribe-to-pcma-emails 

Contact Information: For anything podcast-related, reach out to Magdalina Atanassova, matanassova(at)pcma(dot)org.

Sponsorships and Partnerships: Reach 36,000+ qualified meeting organizers with Convene, the multi-award-winning magazine for the business events industry. Contact our sales team: https://www.pcma.org/advertise-sponsorship/

Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra

In this episode of the Convene Podcast, Deputy Editor Barbara Palmer speaks with global innovation strategist Mark Adams, a former Chief Innovation Officer at Vice Media and longtime advisor to major brands, creators, and public figures, ahead of his Convening APAC keynote. Mark shares how his early experiences at the dawn of social media shaped his lifelong work on signal detection, network theory, and digital transformation. He breaks down why the future belongs to communities — not audiences — and explains why the events industry is now positioned for its biggest opportunity in human history. 

Links:

Register for Convening APAC: https://conveningapac.org/ 

Follow Convene:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pcma-convene/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcmaconvene/ 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@pcmaconvene 

Medium: https://medium.com/@convenemagazine 

X: https://x.com/pcmaconvene  

Contact Information: For any questions, reach out to Magdalina Atanassova, matanassova(at)pcma(dot)org.

Sponsorships and Partnerships: Reach 36,000 qualified meeting organizers with Convene, the multi-award-winning magazine for the business events industry. Contact our sales team: https://www.pcma.org/advertise-sponsorship/

Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra

This episode has been kindly sponsored by Visit Anaheim. Learn more at visitanaheim.org/meetings.

How a sustainability event grew from a small meeting into a global gathering — and embedded its values into every facet of its design along the way.

Written and read by Barbara Palmer, deputy editor at Convene.

Read the Article: 

The Net Zero Conference Walks the Talk: https://www.pcma.org/net-zero-conference-design/

Follow Convene:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pcma-convene/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcmaconvene/ 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@pcmaconvene 

Medium: https://medium.com/@convenemagazine 

X: https://x.com/pcmaconvene  

Subscribe to our newsletters: pcma.org/subscribe-to-pcma-emails 

Contact Information: For anything podcast-related, reach out to Magdalina Atanassova, matanassova(at)pcma(dot)org.

Sponsorships and Partnerships: Reach 36,000+ qualified meeting organizers with Convene, the multi-award-winning magazine for the business events industry. Contact our sales team: https://www.pcma.org/advertise-sponsorship/

Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra