In this episode of the Convene Podcast, global foresight leader Jahkini Bisselink shares actionable insights on creating authentic connections, bridging generational gaps, and balancing technology with human interaction. From the concept of Kletzkassa (or chit chat counters) to mutual mentorship and digital etiquette, discover strategies to foster trust and inclusion in a rapidly changing world.

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 Spark can help planners combat the late registration trend by uncovering patterns in their own registration data and finding ways to spur prospective audiences to action.

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

Read the Article: 

Using AI to Minimize Registration Data Headaches: pcma.org/using-ai-registration-data/

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 episode, the Editors unpack the findings of Convene’s annual Meetings Market Survey, revealing how planners are navigating 2025 amid geopolitical uncertainty, rising costs, and evolving expectations around DEI and sustainability. Discover why business models are shifting, how AI adoption is creating both opportunities and divides, and what planners predict for 2026. 

Links:

·       What’s Next?: https://www.pcma.org/whats-next-33nd-mms/

·       HBR: Leaders Assume Employees Are Excited About AI. They’re Wrong: https://hbr.org/2025/11/leaders-assume-employees-are-excited-about-ai-theyre-wrong

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 

Thanks to a combination of careful planning and strategic partnerships, PCMA’s annual meeting keeps raising its own standards for event sustainability.

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

Read the Article: 

How Convening Leaders 2026 Is Embracing Sustainability: pcma.org/convening-leaders-2026-embracing-sustainability/

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

As Convene marks its 40th anniversary in 2026, the team reflects on their first experiences with the meetings industry, shares behind-the-scenes stories, and previews what’s coming at PCMA Convening Leaders in Philadelphia. From the evolution of conferences to the power of community and design, this episode dives into the history, impact, and future of events. Plus, hear personal journeys that led our editors to Convene and why this industry continues to inspire.

Links:

·       Register for Convening Leaders 2026: https://conveningleaders.org/

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 

While it may be universally accepted that event planning is stressful in nature, there’s a lack of research to support — and mitigate — it. Angelika Bazarnik is “filling the gap” to change that, and she has some ideas about how stress contributes to planners’ salary dissatisfaction.

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

Read the Article: 

Planners Under Pressure: https://www.pcma.org/industry-under-pressure-stress/

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, Devon Montgomery Pasha, the digital experience host for PCMA Convening Leaders 2026, shares her vision for creating an intentional, immersive virtual environment. She explains how her SPARK methodology, rooted in empathy-driven design, shaped the digital experience and reveals how participants can feel connected, activated, and inspired—no matter where they are in the world.

Register to attend Convening Leaders 2026: https://conveningleaders.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

In this episode, the Convene editorial team previews the main stage lineup at Convening Leaders 2026 — including The Economist editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes, organizational psychologist Adam Grant, actress and entrepreneur Tabitha Brown, and comedian and bestselling author Trevor Noah. They explore how these keynotes and their talks will shape the rest of the conversations in Philadelphia.

Links:

·       Joining the Dots With Zanny Minton Beddoes: https://www.pcma.org/joining-the-dots-with-zanny-minton-beddoes/

·       Register for Convening Leaders 2026: https://conveningleaders.org/

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 

More new-build and convention center renovations are designed for integration into the larger community, creating mixed-use spaces for convention-goers and locals alike.

Written and read by Jennifer N. Dienst, senior editor at Convene.

Read the Article: 

Convention Centers Designed to Meet Local and Group Needs: https://www.pcma.org/meeting-different-needs-convention-centers/

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, designer and Comat Studio founder Franziska Seehausen shares what leadership needs to look like for 2030 and beyond. Franziska breaks down three essential traits for today’s leaders — empathy, trust, and courage — and explains how her own journey from Adidas to systems-focused studio owner shifted her view of sustainability from a technical challenge to a human and relational one. She also draws clear parallels to the events industry, showing how these leadership traits and systemic approaches can strengthen collaboration, drive innovation, and accelerate meaningful sustainability progress in business events too. 

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