Some of my key areas of focus for our chapter during my presidency were around industry collaboration, engagement, and operational efficiency with a simple strategic focus. Some of these areas aren’t the flashiest to work on but they are crucial to the sustainability of a successful PCMA GMC chapter for many years to come! I
We are excited to share that the Mentorship program is back for the 2021 fall semester! Applications are open for both mentors and mentees and you can sign up using the links below. We will making assignments the last week of this month so please have all applications submitted by September 22nd. If you know
The Community Services Committee is hosting a drive for gently used winter coats, gloves, and scarves for women and children, from infants to teenagers boys and girls, that participate in programs at the Southside Center of Hope formerly St. Martin De Porres House of Hope. Items will be collected at the Awards Celebration Event or
PCMA Greater Midwest Chapter (GMC) volunteer committee members are the reason GMC is one of the most successful and active of all PCMA chapters. Now is your chance to recognize those members who have gone above and beyond in their contributions to GMC over this past year. Nominate yourself or another member for the 2021
Angie is an accomplished association events professional and meticulous leader with advanced experience in overseeing meetings and education. She currently serves as Director of Meeting Services with the Water Quality Association. Nominators said of her, “Angie has been a dedicated member of GMC PCMA since 1997. During that time she has served on many committees
The opening of the 2022 board and chair application process got me thinking about all the things I’ve learned so far serving in leadership in our GMC chapter. What a heck of a year it has been so far! First and foremost, it is a great way to meet more people and learn from them.
Our GMC PCMA members and friends wrapped up our 6th 2021 summer volunteer date at The Lakeview Pantry with all Type A personalities finishing all of our projects in record time! We packed up 6 pallets of food boxes loaded with dry and canned goods and also sorted what appeared to be 100 or so
I am happy to report that our chapter logged the most miles in the PCMA run/walk challenge along with signing up the most participants! Competition aside thanks for showing up to donate to the PCMA Foundation to support our industry recovery! There are a lot of great opportunities to volunteer this month and thanks to
GMC PCMA is seeking nominations from chapter members for the 2020 Board of Directors and Officers.
What brought you to the meetings industry? It was a fluke, really. I have a degree in Broadcast Journalism from LSU and after a short foray into radio, I decided that it wasn’t as glamorous as I had envisioned. My roommate at the time worked at Monteleone Hotel in New Orleans and LOVED IT- I was
There’s still time to volunteer! On behalf of the GMC-PCMA Community Services Committee we are providing a time sensitive opportunity for you to make a commitment to volunteer to help support The Lakeview Pantry in Chicago. As many of you may have seen in our social media in 2020 our CSR Committee volunteered on multiple
Got an idea outside of the box? Limited Budget? Custom Sponsorship Opportunities available. Contact PCMA Headquarters @ 312.423.7253 or click here to learn more! Sponsorship Opportunities CONTACT: Jacky Meracle greatermidwest@pcma.org 312.423.7251 greatermidwest.pcma.org PCMA is one of the world’s largest, most respected and most recognized networks of business events strategists. Our members are industry leaders.
Looking to elevate your brand and support our chapter at an upcoming event? Click below to see Roz Stuttley discuss all of the available opportunities to partner with PCMA GMC! We survived! . . . Now, let’s thrive!
We are halfway through 2021, so it’s a good time to reflect on where we’ve been and look ahead to the continued recovery of our chapter and the industry. Summer is here, so let’s also have a little fun! All the PCMA chapters will be participating in a Run/Walk Challenge starting June 7th and concluding
CONTACT INFORMATION: greatermidwest@pcma.org RELEASE DATE: June 8, 2021 PCMA GREATER MIDWEST CHAPTER MOVES AWARDS CELEBRATION TO FALL 2021 TO ACCOMMODATE MORE ATTENDEES CHICAGO, IL: — On June 7th the PCMA GMC board of directors voted to move the 2020 Awards Celebration to September 28, 2021 in Chicago, IL. The event will also have a digital
Congratulations to our Q2 Star of the Quarter, Jennifer Nelson! Jennifer is a Project Manager with Association Analytics and an engaged member of the Community Services Committee! Jennifer has been a rock star in taking the lead on getting the PCMA – GMC High School Hospitality Awareness Program implemented with the second pilot program that
What brought you to the meetings industry? An add on Monster.com in 2001. What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self? Don’t be in such a hurry – early in my career I was so focused on my “title”. What difference has PCMA made in your career? PCMA has opened so many doors while providing
The Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law on January 1, 1863, but many of the enslaved people were not immediately free because Texas was still under Confederate control. Juneteenth – June 19, 1865 – celebrates the day that Union Soldiers marched to Texas, announcing the end of the Civil War, and officially freeing all enslaved
By Kari Messenger, GMC Awards Committee Member The Spirit Award recognizes an active chapter member (professional or supplier) who does not reside and/or have a physical office in the greater Chicago area. Joni Opperman has been part of the Hilton family for more than 20 years. She started her career like many in this industry;
The Awards committee has been busy interviewing each winner and we will share these interviews throughout the weeks leading up to the Awards Celebration. Watch the 2020 GEM Award winner, Kara Patten, PMP, interviewed by committee member, Peggy Ford, as she shares her thoughts about this honor.
This month I’d like to highlight some things that I’m excited about! Our digital community powered by Social 27 launches this week for all our active members! Keep an eye out for communication and join us at our May 5th Lunch and Learn! We are launching this to increase engagement across all our member states,
Sponsorship Opportunities (June 2021 – January 2022) CONTACT: Jacky Meracle greatermidwest@pcma.org 312.423.7251 greatermidwest.pcma.org PCMA is one of the world’s largest, most respected and most recognized networks of business events strategists. Our members are industry leaders. Our chapter brings PCMA’s high – caliber education and networking opportunities to the local and regional level. We have
Congratulations to the GMC PCMA 2020 Award Winners! Stay tuned for special emails starting this month, highlighting each of this year’s award recipients. You can find a listing of the winners here. Save the date! The Annual Awards Ceremony and Celebration is taking place Thursday, June 24 from 3-5:30 p.m. at The Old Post
With summer solstice approaching, Anchorage glows under the midnight sun, soaked in more than 20 hours of golden northern sunlight every day. A host of new activities and attractions offer myriad ways to enjoy the long summer days, and a suite of upgraded accommodations offer lush city comfort for even the shortest summer nights. Even
Spring is springing and new things are growing for PCMA GMC! Our events calendar for the year is out and we are exploring adding even more activities! Attend, sponsor & join us – https://greatermidwest.pcma.org/events/ To facilitate our programs, networking, and engagement, we will be launching our digital platform using Social27. This will enable our chapter
Congratulations to the GMC PCMA 2020 Award Winners! Stay tuned for special emails this spring, sharing more about each of this year’s award recipients. Richard A. “Dick” Daignault Award Winner: Leslie Sargent Caesars Entertainment Chicago, IL Robert J. “Bob” Donovan Award Winner: Angie Silberhorn, CMP Warehousing Education and Research Council Oak Brook, IL The
On March 23, Dr. Whitehead delivered a powerful Quarterly Education program to GMC members on the origins and pervasiveness of systemic racism, as well as steps each of us can take as individuals to become actively antiracist. She discussed the importance of being more than an ally, and instead being an advocate, using your privilege
David Almond Regional Vice President of Sales | Associated Luxury Hotels International 20 Year GMC PCMA Member Why did you join PCMA? I originally joined the PCMA Greater Midwest Chapter because I was always given advice to be involved, to work with others, and to build relationships through collaboration. Message doesn’t really ever change. What an
Hot off the press! Sponsor the 1st GMC-PCMA Hybrid event of the year. Sign up today to take advantage of opportunities and celebrate the wonderful achievements of our colleagues. The June Awards event will attract approx. 75 – 150 ppl. A total of (6) awards will be distributed at the event. Recognition of awards will be celebrated
Sarah’s Circle On March 25, the Customer Service Committee delivered 60 sack lunches to Sarah’s Circle Sarah’s Circle – Helping Women Rebuild Their Lives in Chicago, Illinois (sarahs-circle.org) in honor of Women’s History Month. They were selected because they are an amazing, women-centered organization offering support to homeless women in the city of Chicago. These
A New Collective Impact Approach Offers Inclusive Entry-Level Opportunities for the Meetings and Events Industry Our industry is committed to providing more job opportunities for all individuals. For those interested in pursuing a career in event planning or tradeshow management, an apprenticeship program may be your best first stop to gain hands-on experience working with
I can feel the thaw out coming so I’m recording my video outside! It is true what they say about people in the Midwest, we can make 45 degrees feel like summer. We are approaching a year since we all met in person at the 2020 Awards Program. Although challenging in so many ways, this
Sign up today to take advantage of our affordable Digital Activation Opportunities: *Option 1 Banner Ad– Value $1,000 Banner Ad on GMC website home page (pcma.com) Ad will run on a (4) month duration 1-year commitment qualifies for the Silver attributes at a discounted rate of $2,750 *Option 2 Sponsored Communication – Value $1,000 Sponsor
Each quarter, our chapter recognizes one committee volunteer who has gone above and beyond the call of duty. For Q1 2021, we have two fabulous recipients as they were just too great not to acknowledge both! Jatare Barrett, CMP – First up, Jatare Barrett, the Director of Corporate Events and Conferences with Alpha Kappa Alpha
From Colleen Bingle – Chair Emerging Leaders The Emerging Leaders Committee is excited to host its first Virtual Student Day of 2021. The event will be with Michigan State on March 9th from 6:00-7:00 pm. Michigan State has an active GMC PCMA Student Chapter and we are excited to host this event as many of
February is here, and this week officially contains Groundhog Day! Nope, it’s not just that feeling that you get every day during quarantine! I’m recording this video after an amazing afternoon meeting with our board and chairs. We discussed plans for 2021, and I tell you those do not include repeating what we normally do,
Please enjoy this audio update from committee chair, Patti Olejnik, CED.
Under the bylaw change Membership Engagement has seen a re-vamp! We’ve taken the three committees previously focused on membership initiatives: Membership, Student Membership, and Membership Engagement outside of Chicago, and combined them all under one committee, Membership Engagement. Under the new structure of Membership Engagement we have three sub-committees. Please read below to find out
The month of February is set aside to recognize the many contributions of Black Americans to this country. Many times, the focus stays on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and Carter G. Woodson. And never to negate their important mark on our history, there are so many more who deserve
The Community Services Committee’s mission is to coordinate or create activities and programs to benefit members, local charities as well as overseeing chapter fundraising for our chosen causes. We will engage in partnerships with Midwest charities to create personal volunteer opportunities for chapter members, and to give back to the local community. Due to the
On the third Monday of every January since 1986, this day has been set aside as a day that work, schools, federal buildings, etc. are closed as a day off, it serves as the first federal holiday to honor and recognize the birth of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was an
Hi PCMA Greater Midwest Chapter and Happy New Year! We will be trying out some new communication channels in the new year, maybe even a podcast. In that vein, I have recorded my monthly president update via video. Thanks for tuning in! Here are some of the highlights from the video as we kick-off 2021:
