PCMA returned to the city where it was founded for a walk down memory lane to celebrate its 70th anniversary and that of its signature annual event, Convening Leaders.
Held in a city that has enormous pride of its integral role in history—Philadelphia is girding for a banner year in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S.—the January 11-14 event at the Pennsylvania Convention Center drew 4,211 attendees representing 43 countries. More than 1,000 of the attendees were first-time participants, according to PCMA.
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“Convening Leaders 2026 was a powerful reflection of who we are and where we are headed as global community,” said Sherrif Karamat, president and CEO of PCMA, in a prepared statement following the event. “As we honored our legacy, elevated new voices and celebrated those shaping what’s next, one message was clear: Business events are not just about convening; they are about leadership, trust and solving complex challenges that advance us all. We are committed to challenging conventional thinking, innovation, immersive learning, experimentation and real business connections that propel people, organizations and communities forward.”
Given the historical tie-in, the 2026 edition of Convening Leaders honored its past—bringing former leaders to the main stage for an “Always a Leader” recognition—while also leaning into a future represented by its 2030 Vision calling for “transformation, resilience and leadership.
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Transformation, Resilience, Leadership
All three of those words can aptly describe the recent endeavors of PCMA.
In the last few years, PCMA has demonstrated its leadership via numerous acquisitions, partnerships and investments in technology, such as its 2020 acquisition of the Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA), 2023 acquisition of meetings education company Event Leadership Institute and the Spark meetings and events AI tool it launched in 2023 in partnership with Singaporean tech firm Gevme.
Resilience is evidenced by the work the association did in helping shepherd its members through the pandemic and a post-pandemic atmosphere that has tempered a triumphant in-person meetings revival through rising prices and U.S. government policies that have created a climate of uncertainty.
Finally, the association is celebrating a transformation of sorts via integrating its various brands into a fully refreshed central brand moving forward, with the final rollout occurring at Convening Leaders 2026.
[Related: Medical & Pharma Meetings: Straight Talk From 4 Veteran Planners (Part 2)]
PCMA CL Press Conferences
PCMA Convening Leaders featured five press conferences in an innovative mobile trailer, parked in a back corner of The District exhibit area and provided by ADM Creative Group. Also used for podcasts and livestreams, the broadcasting unit can be trucked anywhere, eliminating the reliance on onsite studio setups.
Philadelphia
As host of Convening Leaders, Philly kicked off the press conference schedule with a briefing from its CVB, convention center, hotel association and Reading Terminal Market on the destination’s efforts hosting the show as well as recent meetings and events facility happenings and activations related to the 250th anniversary of the U.S. this year.
Highlights included the following:
The significance of major events coming to Philadelphia, including the FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star game, NCAA basketball March Madness, the PGA Championship and celebrations surrounding the semiquincentennial of the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.
The launching in August of an alliance model between the Philadelphia CVB and the Pennsylvania Convention Center, merging the sales efforts of both under one umbrella.
The debut of a $5 million digital signage package at the convention center, which features 150 new digital assets and more than 5,000 feet of digital signage, that was unveiled at CL.
The addition of the “Overlay” executive suite level at the convention center, as well as a new sensory room that provides a calm area valued by attendees who are neurodivergent, and the facility’s earning of a Sage Inclusion Certification for meeting accessibility standards.
Miami
The host of Convening Leaders 2027 next January has had a busy couple of years welcoming major new meetings properties as well as expanding the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Highlights include the following:
More than $640 million has been invested in the expansion of the Miami Beach Convention Center.
The new Grand Hyatt Miami Beach, which is connected to the convention center via a skybridge, will feature 800 guest rooms and extensive meeting spaces when it opens in late 2027.
Approximately $9 billion has been invested in improvements at Miami International Airport, including a new concourse, luxe private terminal and a new airport hotel.
The city is investing $30 million into a Lincoln Road Business Improvement District.
New Orleans
Like Miami and its expanded convention center, New Orleans is in the midst of a massive convention center expansion and renovation project, including redeveloping land around the convention center into an entertainment district and hotel.
Highlights included the following:
The River District Project will include 40 acres of new development near the convention center, including a 400-room hotel and a 1,000-room Omni headquarters hotel.
The development of 2.2 miles of park space next to the convention center that will transform the riverfront into a gathering place.
More than $1 billion in hotel renovations and new developments are underway in New Orleans, including a 250-room Fairmont in a historic bank building and an Element extended-stay hotel.
The opening of The Josephine on Napoleon, a new event venue in a converted church in Uptown on the Mississippi River, operated by New Orleans culinary institution Brennan’s.
Puerto Rico
Led by Jorge L. Pérez, the new CEO of Discover Puerto Rico who brings extensive in-market event venue sales and management experience to the DMO, Puerto Rico announced a goal of doubling visitor numbers in the next three years and quadrupling them in six years.
Highlights included the following:
Increased air connectivity via JetBlue, which added five direct flights to the island.
Recent hotel investments have totaled more than $700 million, including new Hilton properties and the new Four Seasons Puerto Rico, which rebranded from a St. Regis last November.
A new, decentralized tourism promotion strategy will seek to market the destination beyond San Juan, with an emphasis on major events such as music festivals and sports tournaments.
Austin
Add Austin to the list of destinations embarking on major convention center expansions, too, with truly massive improvements to the Austin Convention Center that have the facility closed until spring 2029.
Highlights included the following:
The new Austin Convention Center will offer a 336,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 47,000-square-foot ballroom and a 30,000-square-foot, event activation-friendly outdoor plaza.
Other key projects include: the revitalization of the Sixth Street nightlife district and the 2026 completion of The Waterline building, a mixed-use Rainey Street skyscraper—touted as the tallest in Texas—that will connect downtown with Rainey Street and Waller Creek; a new 250-room Hotel Trinity opening this year; major renovations at The Driskill Hotel as well as the W hotel and Hyatt Regency; and a new 4,000-seat AEG-operated music venue.
Austin International Airport is undergoing a significant expansion, adding 32 new gates and numerous new routes via Delta and Southwest airlines.
Visit Austin launched the “More Austin” tourism campaign running through 2026 that emphasizes local food, neighborhoods and live music.
PCMA’s Convening Leaders 2027 event will be held January 10-13 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
