COLUMBUS, OHIO—Columbus? In January? The average high temperature is about 36 degrees, but that didn't sway PCMA from hosting its flagship event, Convening Leaders, in the city this year from Jan. 8-11. "That's what we do at PCMA, right? We take risks so you don't have to," said the association's director of events Alison Milgram. "We lucked out with weather, of course. But people came to Columbus, and they were just really surprised and delighted by the city. And to me, that's one of the biggest successes that we had."
With 3,300 attendees at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Convening Leaders was rife with highlights, such as an evening performance from John Legend (who's also an Ohio native) and education from speakers like retired track and field star Allyson Felix and businesswoman Carly Fiorina.
But as Milgram said, maybe the most resounding highlight was the way Columbus—through collaboration with Experience Columbus—was incorporated throughout the programming.
"I think that whether it's a Convening Leaders or a medical meeting or a corporate event, it takes a village to put on a show like this, like any conference," she said. "So I really think it's important that we lean on our partners in the city, have good conversations, and make sure that everybody's involved and everybody's excited. ... I think that any conference brings business into a city, and the cities are excited to have you. So use that, rely on that, and communicate. If everyone feels welcome when they're coming to your event, it just makes a huge difference from beginning to end."
Dan Williams, vice president of sales for Experience Columbus, also commends the DMO's partnership with PCMA in giving attendees a warm welcome. "We knew the impact it was going to have on our community, and that's why it was so important to execute on it," he said, adding that the two teams met weekly across all departments leading up to the conference.
"There were a lot of aspects that we could go to them with, and they were open and welcoming to it, and they could do the same with us," Williams said. "I think there's always give and take, but it was just really a true partnership."
Keep scrolling for more insights from Milgram and Williams and details from Convening Leaders 2023...