The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has strengthened its position in Europe by aligning itself with a UK-based lobbying organisation.
Chicago-based PCMA has joined the Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP), whose aim is to raise the profile of the meetings industry in government circles. The move follows a partnership meeting at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow last week.
The association says it has seen a marked increase in interest from UK meeting and events professionals since the inaugural PCMA Global Corporate Summit was held in Scotland this summer.
Ben Goedegebuure, sales director of the SECC and international board member for PCMA, said: “As an association we believe in working in partnerships, so joining the BVEP was a natural step to align ourselves with the UK industry. Europe remains a key market and the success of ‘The Glasgow Summit’ only underlined the genuine appetite there is out there for the association.”
Michael Hirst, chair of BVEP, added: “PCMA has earned a solid reputation for the quality of its education and brings to the table differing international perspective to where the UK industry is right now. It was fitting to have confirmed the association’s membership in Glasgow, where they took their first step into the market.”
The news follows PCMA's plans to deliver a daily programme of senior-level corporate education during next year’s Confex show at ExCeL London.
PIC: Ben Goedegebuure
