PCMA unveils new European Advisory Board to strengthen its strategy across the region

The move marks a more differentiated approach to PCMA’s strategies for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Going forward, the association will have a dedicated European Advisory Board for Europe, while developing separate groups and strategies for the Middle East and Africa. The three areas will remain connected through PCMA’s overall EMEA strategy, but with a greater focus on the specific needs, opportunities and stages of development of each market.

“Europe is not a single market, and our approach to the region needs to reflect that,” says Jaimé Bennett, Managing Director, EMEA, PCMA. According to Bennett, the new board is intended to go beyond a purely advisory role and play an active part in shaping the association’s growth across Europe.

A board with diverse profiles

The new European Advisory Board brings together professionals from associations, convention bureaux, exhibition venues, companies, agencies and major international organisations. This breadth of experience is designed to provide a broad and representative view of the European business events landscape.

Those beginning a two-year term include Monica Freire, Director of Operations at the European Society of Endodontology; Sam Johnston, Manager at Dublin Convention Bureau; Patrick Keller, Director of Sales and Locations at Messe München, Messe München GmbH; Sophie Morris, Managing Director at Worldspan Ltd; Christina Petrova, Senior Global Event Manager at Gartner; Steven Small, Vice President, Air Transport Events at Informa; Kim Smeets, Senior Congress Manager at the European Society of Cardiology; Stephane Teboul, Co-Founder of bnetwork; and Helen van Oers, Executive Director of the International Society of Endocrinology.

They are joined by eight professionals continuing on the board for an extended period of up to two years: Eszter Aszody Mattiassich, Head of Global Events at Siemens Healthineers; Malin Erlandsson, Director of Sales at Svenska Mässan; Mónica García, Association Meetings Manager at Barcelona Convention Bureau; Clare Melton, Founder of Claremont Corporate Events Consulting; Jack Owens, Head of Sales at Horizons DMC by Tour Partner Group; Ulrike Tondorf, Head of Brand Activation and Engagement at Bayer; Eveline van der Pluijm-Degenhart, Director of the Convention Bureau at Rotterdam Partners; and Kathleen Warden, Owner of K Warden Ltd.

The board will also include Stephen Rose, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Communications Services at Siemens, as the link with the Global Board, and Jaimé Bennett, Managing Director, EMEA, PCMA, as the link with the association’s staff.

Market intelligence to shape PCMA’s European strategy

Beyond its composition, one of the board’s key roles will be to provide PCMA with market intelligence. Its members will help identify emerging trends, growth opportunities and challenges affecting business events professionals and organisations across Europe.

They will also contribute to identifying opportunities for collaboration between markets and to shaping PCMA’s education, experiences and community offering, ensuring that these continue to reflect the changing needs of business events professionals.

“The combination of a deeply local perspective with the reach of a global community is now a necessity,” says Karamat. For the President and CEO of PCMA & CEMA, the new board will help bridge the specific knowledge of individual markets with a broader international perspective.

The European Advisory Board will hold its first meeting in Lisbon ahead of PCMA’s EMEA Convening, taking place from 13 to 15 September 2026. As part of the meeting, members will take part in a dedicated workshop focused on defining the association’s future direction and priorities in Europe.