With the tagline - “The [R]evolution will not wait. The [R]evolution starts now.” - the Professional Convention Management Association promises an exciting lineup of keynotes, education sessions and networking events when its Convening Leaders event kicks off Jan. 12-15 in Boston.

“We'll ignite passion, alter perspective and revolutionize the world of meetings and events,” PCMA officials said.

The four-day event starts on a Sunday, Jan. 12, with PCMA bringing its Hospitality Helping Hands program to the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory.

Founded in 2002, Cradle to Crayons’ (C2C) mission is to provide children ages 0 to 12 with clothing, school supplies, toys, and more.

PCMA always has embraced students and this year there’s PCMA U (formerly Student Union) at which they will have the opportunity to learn about networking at Convening Leaders, ho to use LinkedIn effectively and career paths in the hospitality industry.

That evening the opening event – “What Happens in Boston Changes the World” – will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and feature 13,000 gallons of water, 200 pounds of clams, 400 gallons of local beer and more than 60 performers.

The next morning starts off bright and early with the Opening General Session – “Start an Innovation Revolution” led by Lisa Bodell from FutureThink.

Bodell, a globally recognized innovation leader and futurist, will bring her call to arms to Boston – Imploring attendees to join the Innovation Revolution and lead their own organization of change agents to revolutionize how you think, work and create big impact.

The rest of the day is packed with educational opportunities ranging from PCMA Business School: Negotiation Tweaks led by Harvard Business School’s Deepak Malhotra to Reinventing the Association Annual Meeting Through Experience Design to TechCentral: Improving the Meeting Experience with Mobile and Wireless Technology.

Later that night, after the PCMA Tweet Up and Chairmen’s Reception, there will be PCMA’s Annual Party With a Purpose that supports the PCMA Education Foundation, College Bound Dorchester, and PCMA’s Network for the Needy.

The next morning begins with another General Session – “LIGHTWEIGHT - How to Design Your Organization for the Future”.

The companies that survive the disruptive future will have one quality in common - they will be Lightweight. Whether someone’s company is a newly funded startup or a Fortune 50 giant, what makes their company lightweight is how fast it can recognize and adapt to changing circumstances.

Founder and CEO of Tomorrow, innovation research lab and publisher of the ‘Disruptive Future’ blog, Mike Walsh, who will lead the session, advises some of the world's leading brands and organizations on what's coming next in their industry.

Walsh’s keynote will explore why meetings and events will be a strategic priority for the networked organization of the 21st century, the challenges of tomorrow's employee and what it will take to attract, motivate and reward the next generation of talent and how to master the new models of enterprise communication, from enterprise social networking to cloud-based productivity platforms.

Later that morning are even more sessions, including an important one that takes a look at how meetings really can be sustainable: Progress Through Partnerships: Engaging Venues and Vendors in Sustainability Goals.

Another popular topic is sure to be - Exhibitor Retention Strategies for the New Economic Landscape– with speakers that include B.J. Enright, Tradeshow Logic: Lawson Hockman: IMN Solutions; Kevin Miller, Frost Miller Group Inc.; and Barbara Myers, ISPE.

Also that day, as part of the Meeting & Experience Design – there will be a “Dietary Restrictions Throwdown” – at which convention center and hotel chefs will compete in a reality-style cooking event/education session to help develop solutions to the dietary restrictions challenge.

Chefs will prepare right before attendee’s eyes meal or refreshment break menus that accommodate several common dietary restrictions and allergies.

During the evening will be the networking event “Boston. Making Convention History.” at the famed Faneuil Hall, also known as Quincy Market, one of the oldest food markets in the U.S., where there will be 35 food vendors serving everything from chowda and lobster rolls to sushi and gelato.

For a full schedule for the event visit here: http://conveningleaders.pcma.org/