The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has selected Pittsburgh, PA and San Francisco, CA as the host destinations for the 2019 and 2020 editions of its Convening Leaders event.
In 2019, the conference will be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
City of Bridges. Photo © Sean Pavone
“We are so excited to host the 2019 PCMA Convening Leaders Conference in Pittsburgh in 2019 that five minutes after the announcement the team started our planning,” said Craig Davis, president and CEO of VisitPittsburgh.
“PCMA attendees who have never been to our great city or who haven’t been here a while, will quickly find out why Pittsburgh is amongst the top travel destinations in the world, best food cities and cultural district in the U.S., and one of the friendliest cities,” says Davis. “Although our historical roots are in steel, our never quit work ethic has transitioned our region to become a hot bed for education, medicine, technology, banking, energy and, of course, tourism. We look forward to welcoming the meetings and convention leaders from around the world to Pittsburgh.”
Once known as “The Steel City,” Pittsburgh is now a technology hub with companies such as Google, Apple, Bosch, Facebook, Uber, Nokia, Autodesk and IBM among the 1,600 technology firms generating $20.7 billion in annual payrolls and generous local intellectual capital. America’s “City of Bridges,” it is located at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers and recognized for its 400+ bridges.
Located in Downtown Pittsburgh, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center blends space, functionality, and flexibility with cutting-edge technology. Pittsburgh is home to 68 colleges and universities, including research and development leaders Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. PCMA officials report that they will tap into these resources to bring risks, new ideas and innovation—maybe a chance to take a spin in a driverless Uber—to Convening Leaders’ content.
Cable Cars, San Francisco. Photo © bluejayphoto.
In 2020, the conference will head west to San Francisco, CA, a city of life-changing technology, trend-setting cuisine and famous postcard views.
“There will be so much new to experience in 2020, we can’t wait to welcome Convening Leaders to San Francisco,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of San Francisco Travel. “The elegant design of the Moscone Center expansion and the Chase Center, home to the NBA Champions Golden State Warriors, will take people’s breath away. Attendees will see changes in the neighborhood including the new Central Subway, the Mexican Museum and the Salesforce Transit Center and we’ll have new hotels, many with trendy rooftop venues.”
San Francisco is a renowned magnet for meetings of all sizes, from self-contained meetings based at one hotel to citywides utilizing multiple properties and the Moscone Center. Just blocks from Union Square, Moscone Center is walking distance to hotels, restaurants, museums, attractions, public transit and more. In 2020 the center will showcase its recent expansion of more than 170,000 gross square feet of flexible meeting space, including a 50,000-square-foot ballroom.
“Convening Leaders is the premier industry event for leading business event professionals,” said Deborah Sexton, President and CEO, PCMA. “Our participants and partners attend this event every January to network with their colleagues from around the globe and seek out innovation for their upcoming programs. Both Pittsburgh and San Francisco are unique welcoming destinations with tremendous knowledge capital communities that will contribute valuable ideas and intuitive talents to our program.”
Convening Leaders 2018 will be held in Nashville, TN, at the acclaimed Music City Center. Registration for the event opens this year in late August at conveningleaders.org.
Leave a Reply