I make it a point to make all of my event staff members of the PCOA and to take them to the annual conference.  I think it is important to support your industry association – but beyond that, it is an excellent training opportunity for them to experience being a delegate, as well as learning more about the industry.

Conference Logistics have been a member of the PCOA for many years. Our PCOA membership provides a platform for collaboration with other PCO’s, industry specific information and vital support. The events industry can sometimes be very isolating with everyone doing their own thing, but knowing that we come under the Association gives confidence through these times.  Here we are able to share ideas, celebrate accomplishments and collectively advocate the advancements in the industry.  Our involvement with the PCOA has been incredibly rewarding both personally and professionally, and I would encourage any business events professional to join.

Having been a member of the PCOA for the past 10 years, I have always found the benefits of membership to be extremely valuable. With access to education, training and networking events, the PCOA have provided me with the opportunity to learn new skills and find out about professional development opportunities and industry trends. I also find the information about new products and services very helpful. My team and I participate in the annual conference which is always extremely inspiring and rewarding. I have recently become accredited through PCOA as a Certified Event Manager (CEM) and other members of my team are now working towards their own accreditation too. There is a strong sense of community within PCOA and membership has provided me with the opportunity to regularly network with like-minded professionals. In particular I have found this incredibly helpful and a tremendous support whilst trying to navigate my business through the challenges of COVID-19.

I’m an PCOA member because of the people. PCOA represents everything I need to ensure I am up to date with all things Conferences, Events and more …. Joining PCOA over 10 years ago for me started out with the first Conference in Auckland, NZ. The first conference I attended I met people who are still in touch and involved in the industry. I met some of my biggest professional mentors, and I started building relationships with some of the industry’s leading keynote speakers, suppliers and beyond. I engage with the PCOA many times each month with online learning, industry forums & virtual meetings to gain insights into how others are fairing in these new challenging times. PCOA Conference at the end of each year is definitely the highlight with 3 days of inspiring speakers, entertainment and very focused business learning.

We just wanted to reach out and thank you all at PCOA for keeping us members up to date and informed every step of the way on how to navigate the new COVID normal world in which we are running our businesses in. While it has been an enormously stressful time to run a business you have made us feel more confident in what the future may hold for business events. Your constant connection throughout the last 18 months has been very appreciated and has certainly helped on keeping us focused and motivated. With the light now appearing at the end of the tunnel we look forward to a brighter 2022 and beyond!

I am thrilled to share the incredible priviledge of being a Professional Conference Organisers Association member! After Covid and moving countries, I felt like I was missing out on something, but after attending PCOA23 last December, I got this jolt of energy, feeling again like what I do matters, not just for me, but on a much broader scale. We the Event Profs, are one dynamic community of critical thinkers! And while our jobs are rated as highly stressful, I would not know how to function if I wasn’t doing what I was doing. Joining the community with the opportunity to collaborate, network, think outside the box and do things as they have never been done before was the best Christmas gift to me! I look forward to taking it to the next level and learning how I can help shape the future of the ever-changing event planning.