HOUSTON — PCMA Convening Leaders 2025 (CL25) took place Jan. 12-15 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, bringing together 3,800 in-person attendees for education, networking and more. Taking virtual attendees into account, the event saw 4,500 total attendees.
“This was my first time attending … and I was impressed with the opportunities the event provided to engage with current and potential partners,” Mike Carlucci, Chief Operating Officer at Clarion Events North America, said. “The environment fostered proper collaboration and meaningful conversations on our priorities. It was an excellent and productive way to kick-start the new year for our industry.”
Learn more in Trade Show Executive’s recap of the event.
Impactful Connection Opportunities
Liz Irving, CEO of Clarion Events North America, shared that CL25 was her first time attending PCMA Convening Leaders.
“I found the entire event to be very welcoming — the attendees I found more likely … to stop, to smile and to say hello,” Irving said. “The roundtable lunches were an incredible way to meet new people. Plus, the individual venue and decorator events were great to spend more time with our partners and colleagues for relaxing and enjoyable personal conversations. The floor was incredible — it had many opportunities for reconnecting with partners and meeting with new ones. We were able to focus to talk about areas for Clarion that are key to us — especially around security and knowing venue roadmaps.”
Sherron Washington, M.A., Founder and Executive Director at Discovering Butterflies, Communications Management Graduate Adjunct Faculty at Temple University, and Founder and CEO of the P3 Solution and CL25 speaker, had a similar perspective.
“CL25 truly captured the excitement and wonderment of the event professional community — it felt like the Disney World for our industry,” Washington added. “The energy, innovation and collaboration on display were unmatched, leaving me inspired and motivated.
“This was my second time attending. This year’s edition felt significantly bigger and better, with more robust programming, enhanced opportunities for connection and an overall elevated experience for attendees. From the engaging sessions to the flow of activities in and outside of the activations, it truly created a space for event professionals to connect, learn and grow. Everything about it felt intentional and meaningful and I will certainly return next year.”
Related. PCMA Unveils 20 in Their Twenties Class of 2025
Educational Takeaways
For Irving, writer and professor Brené Brown’s session, titled “Dare to Lead” and held Jan. 13, was a key highlight of the event.
“Brené Brown blew me away,” Irving explained. “She is an incredible leadership speaker. I found her keynote so impactful that after returning from the event, I shared the following with my team in our weekly CEO WINs communication: she spoke about the concept of armor in leadership — the defenses we instinctively put up to protect ourselves when faced with discomfort, feedback or uncertainty.
“Her message was clear: to be effective leaders, we need to recognize when we’re wearing our armor, understand how it shapes our reactions and take intentional steps to reset ourselves. Whether it’s pausing to reflect, seeking input from trusted colleagues or simply giving yourself the grace to step away and reset, these small actions can shift our responses from reactive to constructive and collaborative.
“My challenge for my team from this was to be more aware of how we show up for one another and ourselves. This works for all of us, no matter your role. I am giving this a try myself and I will let you know as I do it. My ask is for you to try, too, and let me know how this works for you.”
Washington’s session, titled “Breaking Generational Barriers for Stellar Communication,” focused on identifying communication challenges across generations, exploring their impact and supplying ways to foster understanding and belonging.
“It was a highly interactive session with a few insights on a more simplified but impactful way to engage various generations,” Washington said.
Washington also moderated a session with Desirée Knight, CAE, CMP Fellow, DES, Senior Director, Meetings & Events at the American Psychological Association, titled “Positioning Yourself as an Event Professional.”
“She shared invaluable insights about career growth in the event industry, emphasizing the importance of being coached, finding a mentor and having a sponsor at every stage of your professional journey. Another key takeaway was the focus on ‘leveling up’ as an event professional by proactively seeking growth opportunities,” Washington said.
Charitable Initiatives and Industry Recognition
PCMA used CL25 as a platform to serve the events industry and wider global community in a host of ways, including through volunteer opportunities, donations and sustainability programs.
“Because we convene people, we have the power to use business events to impact economic and social change,” Sherrif Karamat CAE, President & CEO at PCMA and CEMA, stated. “Business events are what we do, but why we do them is where the magic happens. Our profession is extremely valuable to society and raising the level of our profession is about us owning our place in society. We can make a difference when we push beyond boundaries.”
The wellness and networking experiences at CL25 raised more than $400,000 for the PCMA Foundation, which supports PCMA’s mission to advance the business events industry through fundraising and grant giving, focused on scholarships, education and research.
More than 100 volunteers participated in the event’s annual Hospitality Helping Hands event, working with Bread of Life, a Houston-based program that assists underserved communities. The PCMA Foundation also donated $10,000 to the organization.
Additionally, PCMA gave three local Heroes of Hospitality a $5,000 cash reward.
PCMA’s Rising Star Student Scholarship, supported by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and Desirée Knight, allowed eight students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to attend the event.
Also, CL25’s Global Pavilion featured a carbon-absorbing mural that reduced CO2. According to PCMA, it prevented 150 grams of volatile organic compound emissions during CL25, which is the equivalent of driving 150 miles.
CL25 recognized industry superstars as well, spotlighting its 2025 “20 in Their Twenties” class. The event also revealed this year’s Visionary Awards Lifetime Achievement Honorees and Professional Excellence Finalists. The 2025 Visionary Awards will be held April 10 during Business Events Industry Week in Washington, D.C.
On his last day as PCMA Chair, Leonard Hoops, President & CEO of Visit Indy, presented the 2025 Chair Awards, which went to the following recipients: Catherine Mills, Vice President, Conferences and Continuing Education, American Dental Association, Angie Ranalli, CMP, Senior National Sales Director, San Diego Tourism Authority and John Solis, Senior Vice President, Sales & Client Services, Visit Houston. Incoming PCMA Chair Neil Brownlee, the association’s first non-North American Chair and Head of Business Events at VisitScotland, also addressed attendees on CL25’s Main Stage.
The next edition of PCMA Convening Leaders will be held in Philadelphia from Jan. 11-14, 2026.
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