This season has been kindly sponsored by Visit Spokane. Go to VisitSpokane.com to learn more.

Associations are under pressure to grow revenue, retain members, and stay relevant—often with fewer resources and more uncertainty. In this conversation, ASAE President & CEO Michelle Mason explains why the old business model is over and what’s working now: prioritizing retention, listening to the real “voice of the member,” reading behavioral data (not just surveys), and designing hybrid, distributed experiences that keep engagement alive year-round. She also shares ASAE’s “conscious inclusion” approach to DEI amid polarization, how to cultivate next-gen leaders without losing institutional wisdom, and why future-focused leadership means taking smart risks on behalf of your community. 

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

In April, the Native American Finance Officers Association held its 43rd annual conference in New Orleans, marrying tech and tradition to maximize engagement.

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

Read the Article: 

Inside a Gathering of Finance Officers: https://www.pcma.org/gathering-of-finance-officers/ 

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

How can understanding what matters most to people reshape the future of work in events? In this conversation, David Allison, CEO and founder of the Valuegraphics Project, joins Magdalina Atanassova to unpack insights from Convene’s 2025 Salary Survey — from the widening gap between job satisfaction and pay to the deep role of community and recognition in planner happiness.

Mentioned Links:

• Convene Salary Survey 2025: https://www.convene-digital.org/convene/library/page/october_2025/48/ 
• Values Identifier: https://www.valuesidentifier.com/
• Resources: https://www.davidallisoninc.com/resources
• Maximizing Impact with Michael Bungay Stanier: How Event Planners Can Lead with Curiosity and Coaching: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/convene-series-maximizing-impact-with-michael-bungay/id1038121106?i=1000676042953
• The Death of Demographics: Valuegraphic Marketing for a Values-Driven World: https://a.co/d/fa9PF6B

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 season has been kindly sponsored by Visit Spokane. Go to VisitSpokane.com to learn more.

When budgets tighten but expectations don’t, what actually works? MC2’s Ben Nazario and Bruno Silva dig into building trust with stakeholders, stopping scope creep, and balancing high-touch experiences with digital reach. From CES case studies and multi-brand partnerships to global execution, emotional storytelling, and smart uses of AI, they share a practical playbook for corporate event marketers who want strategic impact—not status-quo.

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

How a TikTok video berating hotel and conference staff at the National Federation of the Blind’s convention became a learning opportunity.

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

Read the Article: 

This Negative TikTok Was Turned Into a Teachable Moment: https://www.pcma.org/negative-tik-tok-teachable-moment/

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

Every issue of Convene opens with an illustrated cover — a long-standing tradition that captures ideas, not just images. In this behind-the-scenes conversation, the editorial team shares how those covers come to life, from concept to collaboration with artists around the world. Hear how illustration shapes storytelling, why abstract art sparks curiosity, and what goes into creating visuals that make readers stop, think, and turn the page.

Links:

·       Convene’s Digital Edition: https://www.convene-digital.org/convene/library/

·       Point Five: https://point5.com/

·       Lane Press: https://lanepress.com/

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 

This season has been kindly sponsored by Visit Spokane. Go to VisitSpokane.com to learn more.

David Allison joins the Convene Podcast to discuss why relying on demographics leads event planners 90 percent astray — and how understanding attendees’ values instead can transform engagement, loyalty, and community. From defining Power Values like employment security and community, to designing experiences that speak to what people truly care about, David explains how planners can future-proof events by designing for who people truly are and what matters most to them.

Mentioned links:

Free Guide - How to Engage and Influence Event Attendees: https://www.davidallisoninc.com/eventguide

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

Organizers of the Creative Bureaucracy Festival have kept up a digital initiative from the COVID years to extend the festival’s reach globally and to keep the community connected.

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

Read the Article: 

How This One-Day Festival Creates an Engaged Community Year-Round: https://www.pcma.org/this-one-day-festival-creates-engaged-community-year-round/

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

Is swag still worth it—or just landfill with a logo? In this Talk, the Convene editors debate whether business events need giveaways at all, and what actually delivers value when they do. From “no-swag” charitable gifting and local-maker gift cards to consumables, thoughtful keepsakes, and scent-driven memories, the group shares smart ideas for reducing waste while deepening attendee connection. If you’re rethinking bags, bottles, and branded pens, this episode gives practical alternatives and guardrails.

Links:

·       7 Wellness-Themed Gifting Ideas: https://meetings.skift.com/2025/10/13/7-wellness-themed-gifting-ideas/

·       Rethinking Swag at Events: https://www.pcma.org/rethinking-swag-events/

·       Cowbells and Woolen Slippers — Cherished Handmade Gifts From Events: https://www.pcma.org/cowbells-woolen-slippers-cherished-handmade-gifts-from-events/

·       Responsible Swag: Rethinking Giving and Receiving at Events: https://www.pcma.org/rethinking-giving-receiving-events/  

·       Helping the Earth and Creating Community One Tree at a Time: https://www.pcma.org/treedom-tree-planting-climate-change-events/

·       An Immersive Three Days in Victoria, B.C.: https://www.pcma.org/immersive-three-days-in-victoria-bc/

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 

This season has been kindly sponsored by Visit Spokane. Go to VisitSpokane.com to learn more.

Seth Godin joins the Convene Podcast to challenge how we plan, lead, and measure events. In the first episode for Season 9, he unpacks why events are acts of leadership (not management), how AI should free us from tasks so we can create connection and make decisions, and why “doing your job” isn’t the same as “doing the work.” From enrollment over persuasion to designing transformational experiences, Seth shares practical shifts: start small, take responsibility, and build significance that lasts beyond show day.

Mentioned links:

AI Prompt Decks: https://www.promptdecks.com/

Seth’s Blog: https://seths.blog/

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