Valuable lessons in leadership, management, and preparing for crises will be delivered at the general sessions and a special plenary session during the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) 50th Annual Meeting, January 8-11, 2006, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.

In the Opening General Session and Awards Ceremony on Monday morning, January 9, former Continental Airlines CEO & Chairman Gordon Bethune will tell the complete inside story of how he and his team engineered one of the most dramatic comebacks in the history of business in a talk entitled “Worst to First.”

A plain-speaking ex-Navy aircraft mechanic, Bethune managed to motivate his people to bold new heights of excellence and win back his company's long-lost customer base. His lessons on leadership, employee empowerment, teamwork, and strategy will help meeting professionals apply new insights to leading and managing within their organizations.

PCMA is adding a special plenary session on Monday afternoon entitled, “In the Eye of the Storm: Are We Prepared?” It will provide a serious look at crisis management and the necessity for contingency plans and bring the challenges, frustrations, and future strategies of meeting professionals into perspective.

This session also sets the stage for additional breakout sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday during the PCMA meeting to discuss best practices and lessons learned from those who have firsthand experience with disasters and other crises.

Leading off the plenary session on Monday afternoon will be General Richard Myers, Ret., The Fifteenth Chairman, U. S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaking on “The Role of the Military in Homeland Emergencies.”

His presentation will be followed by a panel discussion that includes:

·         J. Stephen Perry, President/CEO, New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau

·         William D. Talbert III, President & CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau

·         Karen L. Hackett, CEO, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

·         Bennett Lorber, MD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Temple University

Peter Shure of Conferon Global Services will serve as moderator.

On Tuesday morning, January 10, the focus on crisis preparation continues in a broader context in the second general session as a panel of experts discusses solutions to the issues of homeland security, terrorism, visas, and immigration in a session entitled, “International Travel in an Age of Uncertainty.”

Broadcast news personality Meryl Comer will moderate, and expert panelists include:

·         Roger Dow, President & CEO, Travel Industry Association of America

·         John Timoney, Chief of the Miami Police Department

·         Jon Boutcher, Chief Inspector, Scotland Yard, London, United Kingdom

·         an expert on visas, immigration, and customs

On Wednesday morning, January 11, the former President of the Philadelphia 76ers, Pat Croce, will inspire attendees at the third general session in a talk entitled, “Achieve the Impossible.”

Using equal doses of energy, passion, and laughter, Croce’s storytelling will touch on his rise from the training room to the boardroom in one of the most unlikely stories in sports history.

Sprinkled throughout Croce’s presentation are his “Pat Croce Pointers,” which emphasize lessons on everything from clear communication to the power of a positive attitude.

The general session speakers are arranged through Leading Authorities, Inc., which is also sponsoring the Tuesday general session. The Monday general session is sponsored by Tourism Vancouver, and the Wednesday general session is sponsored by Tourisme Montreal.

The special plenary session speaker is sponsored by Keppler Speakers.

Online registration for the PCMA Annual Meeting is available at www.pcma.org More information is also available by calling PCMA at 312-423-7262.