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Technological innovation, CSR … and record in Convening Leaders of PCMA

Technological innovation, CSR … and record in Convening Leaders of PCMA

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From the innovative technology that allows choosing on-demand content to a master facilitator to help process and apply learning, through the generation of engagement through solidarity and the challenge of trying to achieve a Guinness record, it has been the keys to the success of the 62nd edition of Convening Leaders, the PCMA convention, which broke attendance record: 4,457 participants (+ 7%) from 45 countries met at the Music City Center in Nashville (Tennessee). Under the motto "Amplifying Engagement", organizers of events, members of the association, corporate and suppliers enjoyed four days full of training sessions, solidarity actions, unique experiences and networking opportunities.

They are many editions and must be renewed in content and formats, as it should have thought the organizers in this edition had for the first time with the presence of a ‘master facilitator’, Nick Ross, the veteran journalist and former broadcaster of the BBC. In this new role (we have masters of ceremonies for a long time but whose role is often reduced to making transitions between talks), Nick helped the participants to follow the program and to apply the content to their daily work. This could be a new interesting figure in events, to facilitate the necessary digestion of the content and its concrete application.

An interesting initiative was the creation of the space ‘Future of Face2Face’ that combined talks on topics such as ‘changing mindsets’, the evolution of the business environment and the changes of brand strategies, with a space for the demonstration of new technologies: The Mix, a piece of HD screen of 20m by 6m, in which the different sessions were projected, a wide `menu ‘with content on demand to navigate through an app, listen to it with your headphones and change the channel (as if you were listening to the radio) whenever you want. An interesting innovation that allows each attendee to serve the content that suits him or her best.

New was also the return of the PCMA Business School with more educational content, more specialized on subjects that interest professionals in the sector: marketing for strategic growth, financing, change management or meeting design. As a sample, the session of Natalie Nixon, professor at the University of Penn and design strategist, explored how organizations can use music as a catalyst for innovation.

The main speaker was General Stanley McChrystal, former General of the United States Army and a veteran in Iraq and Afghanistan, who showed how to think in an innovative way to apply it to leadership and business. “He has lasted more than an hour in which he kept our attention absolutely full; people forgot that they had a cell phone in their pocket, “MCI’s Sandrine Castres told us, remembering that a powerful speaker is still very attractive and that in the era of TED we can go beyond 20 minutes. Another expert who spoke was social innovator and philanthropist Bill Strickland who gave a presentation on ethical leadership to help reshape the business of social change. But not all sessions were in large rooms with a large audience. “There were many different formats, from meetings in the corridors where a few people debate on a topic, to campfire sessions with a speaker surrounded by fifteen people in a very interactive format, as a complement to more traditional sessions, but with always varied assemblies that allow you to enjoy very different themes, and see stages with many configurations, “David Pérez Noack, of the Madrid Convention Bureau, told us. There is no doubt that the good event allows a lot of networking and discussions on training topics, in small groups. Finally, Sherrif Karamat, new President and CEO of PCMA, closed the convention thanking everyone.

CSR event. Beyond the training sessions, the event has a solidary component: Giving Good’s Hospitality Helping Hands (HHH) this time supported the LP Pencil Box project, which donates school materials to teachers and students. In addition to filling more than 600 backpacks worth $ 70,000, another $ 13,000 was donated to the charity. Until the party of the PCMA Education Foundation, attended by more than 1,600 attendees, was organized around a charitable purpose and donated $ 25,000 to the local charity W.O. Smith School of Music.

The closing night was held at the iconic Nashville Musicians Hall of Fame, where participants were able to converse with some of the legendary Rock & Roll members such as Steve Cropper, Duane Eddy and Billy Cox, who played Jimmy Hendrix versions. . The evening concluded with a musical performance by Peter Frampton and Little Big Town.

In the ‘goodbye’ to Nashville, they wanted to beat more records – the attendance already achieved – and 1,298 attendees participated in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record. The challenge was to form the largest human figure that represented a musical instrument (guitar). Although the record was not achieved, the participants enjoyed the experience and subsequent closing at the Walk of Fame Park in Music City.

Convening Leaders 2019 will be held in Pittsburgh from January 6 to 9.

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