PCMA Makes Strategic Investment in Virtual Edge Institute

With the objective of accelerating industry-wide standards and development of best practices for hybrid and virtual events, the Professional Convention Management Association recently announced it was making a strategic investment in the Virtual Edge Institute.

PCMA is an association whose 6,300 members manage some of the nation’s largest meetings and events, while VEI is an organization solely dedicated to educating people on the uses and best practices for deploying digital event, meeting, community and learning solutions.

VEI also will continue its vision to expand the adoption of virtual and hybrid events as a vital component of a marketing and events strategy.

“Virtual and hybrid events are playing a critical role in expanding our audience and increasing business opportunities,” said Deborah Sexton, president and CEO of PCMA. "PCMA recognizes the fundamental changes that are taking place, and we see the tremendous opportunity to be a leader in the discussion on behalf of our members as they shape the future of the meetings industry.”

She added, “Furthermore, there is a tremendous need for educating the industry on how to best plan, deploy and manage these digital programs and VEI is the source for this specialized education. Our investment in VEI enables this education to reach our members, and the industry as a whole, much faster and on a global basis.”

VEI has a membership community of a membership community of 1,500 event, marketing and learning professionals and it launched the Virtual Edge Summit in 2008, a conference dedicated to hybrid and virtual events.

In addition, VEI developed the curriculum that has led to the introduction of the first certification program for Digital Event Strategists (DES).

According to Michael Doyle, VEI’s executive director, “VEI will leverage PCMA’s support to establish programs to help drive the education, conversation and growth of the industry forward.”

As an example, the organization will debut six DES modules at the Virtual Edge Summit 2012, which will be collocated with PCMA’s annual meeting Jan. 9-11 at the San Diego Convention Center and will enable candidates to begin the process for DES certification. 

"We’re also talking with other associations and organizations that are interested in sharing this education with their members,” Doyle said. “Now we have the resources to accelerate and build upon those programs.”

Susan Katz, chairman of the board of directors for PCMA and director of corporate events and travel for the True Value Company, said, “The PCMA Board of Directors has identified digital extensions of events, be they perpetual environments or simple hybrid programs, as critical to the continued growth of events and meetings for collaboration, marketing, selling, and relationship building.”

She added, “Face-to-face and digital extensions are now part of the same tool kit. Event producers, venues and technology providers are all going to need to come together to drive the next wave of innovation in our industry.”