PCMA Convene Podcast

In this Interview, Business Events Summit keynote speaker, author, futurist and economist Shawn DuBravac shares why the most successful organizations aren’t the ones with the best forecasts, but the ones built for adaptability. We explore how event leaders can rethink outdated processes, move beyond simply layering technology onto existing workflows, and embrace AI as a tool for transformation—not just efficiency. 

Links:

·       Built for Change: The Planner Advantage - https://www.pcma.org/shawn-dubravac-high-strategic-event-management/

·       Digital Destiny: How the New Age of Data Will Transform the Way We Work, Live, and Communicate - https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Destiny-Data-Transform-Communicate/dp/1621573737

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 the European Society of Radiology used a combination of the latest technology tools to create an immersive digital experience for medical imaging professionals.

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

Read the Article: 

At the Heart of It: https://www.pcma.org/ecr-25-planet-radiology/

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, CEMA Summit speaker Sarah Reed shares why event leaders must move beyond checklists and start thinking like strategic business partners. Drawing on her unconventional start in global contact centers, she explains how to make decisions with imperfect information, prioritize outcomes over perfection, and confidently say no to misaligned ideas. We explore how emotion and human connection can transform events into powerful tools for trust and retention, why perfectly executed events can still fail, and how AI is reshaping the way event teams work.

Links:

• Register for CEMA Summit: https://cemaonline.com/cema-summit/ 

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 than 700 professionals who work in African American museums and cultural institutions gathered in Charleston last summer for a vibrant exchange of ideas and knowledge.

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

Read the Article: 

Preserving Their Stories: https://www.pcma.org/preserving-their-stories/

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, CEMA Summit speaker Deborah Caldwell shares hard-earned lessons from navigating some of the most challenging moments in the industry—from the collapse of Lehman Brothers to large-scale disruptions like typhoons and global uncertainty. We explore how event leaders can plan for the unexpected, stay calm under pressure, and make clear decisions when it matters most. Deborah also dives into the realities of operating across Asia Pacific, the balance between governance and creativity, and why communication is one of the most critical—yet underestimated—leadership skills in events. 

Links:

• Register for CEMA Summit: https://cemaonline.com/cema-summit/ 

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

For the first time in four decades, the International Congress of Mathematicians is being held in the United States in July — but a grassroots movement to relocate the meeting is gaining traction and dividing members around the globe.

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

Read the Article: 

Registration Lags as Math Scholars Look to Boycott Major Congress in U.S.: https://www.pcma.org/math-scholars-boycott-major-us-based-congress/

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

Being intentional about integrating art into the design of a program gives the participant experience an added dimension.

Written and read by Michelle Russell, on her last day as editor in chief of Convene.

Read the Article: 

Art for Events’ Sake: https://www.pcma.org/art-for-events-sake/

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, CEMA Summit speaker Dan Preiss shares how leading organizations are rethinking event strategy—from aligning every decision to a clear “North Star” to cutting through the noise of overcomplicated measurement. We explore the challenge of fragmented attention, the rise of hyper-personalization through AI, and why the future of events isn’t bigger, but more intentional. Dan also unpacks what’s still hard to measure—like trust and relationship depth—and why human connection will only become more valuable as digital content explodes. 

Links:

• Register for CEMA Summit: https://cemaonline.com/cema-summit/

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 Destination Madison. Go to VisitMadison.com/pcma to learn more.

In the Season 11 finale, seasoned expert Angelika Bazarnik unpacks why wellness for event professionals is more than yoga breaks and spa days. Angelika reveals what she learned after reviewing 3,000+ articles, why academic research on planner stress has nearly vanished, and the early patterns emerging from her ongoing qualitative study. From stress cycles to broken processes and new tools that actually reduce friction, this episode closes the season with insights every planner needs.

Links:

·       Participate in Angelika’s research “Exploring Stress in Event Management: A Mixed Methods Study of Professional Experiences and Mitigation Strategies.” - https://www.banquetconsulting.com/phd-research-sign-up

·       EVENT-IT is a collection of digital tools to simplify event planning and execution:  https://www.eventtoolkit.app/

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 global creative leader at IDEO walked event organizers through three mindsets that innovation and design-thinking experts use to create extraordinary experiences.

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

Read the Article: 

The Benefits of ‘Cognitive Estrangement’ in Meeting Design: https://www.pcma.org/benefits-cognitive-estrangement/

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