On April 15, the 2009 PCMA Education Foundation Dinner at the Hilton Washington in Washington, D.C., attracted more than 900 meetings industry professionals to recognize the accomplishments of three remarkable individuals: Bruce Harris, CMP, John Patronski, and Tyra Hilliard, Ph.D, J.D., CMP.
The dinner is designed to honor their contributions to the profession while raising funds for research, grants and scholarships benefitting the meetings industry.
“Each year, I look forward to the PCMA Education Foundation Dinner,” said PCMA President and CEO Deborah Sexton.
”Having worked on a personal basis with each of these honorees, it was wonderful to see them recognized by so many of their colleagues for their unparalleled passion and dedication to the meetings industry. The dinner also gave me the opportunity to update our guests on the important meetings advocacy work that PCMA is engaged in with industry leaders.”
“Being a part of this year’s Foundation Dinner was an incredible experience,” added 2009 PCMA Education Foundation Chair Michael Payne, a former Dinner honoree.
“It was the perfect time to come together with colleagues to recognize the accomplishments of these outstanding individuals while raising funds that greatly benefit our industry and positions us for success in the future. I was pleased to be able to announce that the PCMA Education Foundation has agreed to fund two important research projects: a “pulse” survey on meeting planner intentions to help gauge current meeting market conditions, and the coordination of industry-wide research that will demonstrate the value of meetings to business and commerce as well as their economic impact to communities.”
For 22 years, the PCMA Education Foundation Dinner Celebrating Professional Achievement has been a must-attend event for meetings industry professionals. It continues to serve as an opportunity for scores of meetings industry colleagues to join together to recognize the significant efforts of the honorees and to advance the profession and the community.
For the second year in a row, the dinner was presented by FedEx Office.
“FedEx Office is pleased to be a part of this great event honoring the lifetime achievements of these dedicated and talented professionals in the meetings industry,” said Brad Bebell of FedEx Services.
“This event reinforces the alignment between PCMA and FedEx Office through showcasing our shared values of innovation, education, and community outreach. It was through the partnership with PCMA where FedEx Office gained the market insight to implement the newly formed FedEx Office National Account Executive. This dedicated sales team will focus their efforts on assisting meeting professionals within the convention and hospitality space. In March, FedEx Office was happy to be able to offer free resume printing for those facing an unexpected job search and PCMA was right there with us, providing advertising on their Web site and a message in ThisWeek@PCMA.”
Grants and Scholarships
The grants and scholarships approved by the PCMA Education Foundation Board of Trustees at the April 15th meeting totaled more than $120,000 and included:
Grants (4)
- Meeting Planner Intentions Survey
- Economic Impact Study
- Faculty Scholarships to Attend the 2010 PCMA Annual Meeting in Dallas
- Exhibit Industry Carbon Project (EICP)
Scholarships (11)
Student Planner of the Year: Tamela Blalock, George Washington University
Multicultural Scholarships
- Robert Hawk, Johnson & Wales University
- Na hee (Cindy) Hwang, George Brown College
- Jessie Joseph, Monroe College
- Hyunkoyong Lee, New York University
- Vanessa Perez, Monroe College
Roy B. Evans Scholarships
- Allison Anthony, Penn State University
- Adi Hayat, University of Central Florida, Rosen School of Hospitality Management
- Allitta Hren, Ferris State University
- Megan Lehn, San Francisco State University
- Kristen Randazzo, Widener University
The successful PCMA Foundation event also featured a Silent Auction, raising more than $90,000. This year, the auction moved completely online and enabled bidders to purchase packages before the event at a designated price through a new “Buy It Now” feature.
During the Dinner event, the auction continued both onsite and online, engaging both attendees and non-attendees in fun, competitive bidding. Winning bidders left the evening knowing they were headed to Budapest, Shanghai, Hawaii, and other exotic destinations — while helping their industry carry out important work.
For more information, visit PCMA Education Foundation
Image: (From Left to Right) Michael Payne, 2009 PCMA Education Foundation Chair; Deborah Sexton, PCMA President and CEO; John Patronski, 2009 Supplier Partner Honoree; Tyra Hilliard, Ph.D, J.D., CMP, 2009 Educator Honoree; Bruce Harris, CMP, 2009 Meeting Professional Honoree; and Christie Hicks, 2008 PCMA Education Foundation Chair.
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