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Each year the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) honors outstanding members for their contributions to PCMA and the meetings and hospitality industry. The winners of the 2008 Achievement Awards, who will be recognized at the 53rd PCMA Annual Meeting, January 11-14, 2009, to be held at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

"The winners of the 2008 PCMA Achievement Awards make PCMA the outstanding organization that it is," said Deborah Sexton, President and CEO, PCMA. We’re proud to recognize these exceptional members—and meetings industry leaders—through the annual Achievement Awards program."  

The recipient of the 2008 Distinguished Member of the Year Award is Valerie Sumner, Principal of VRS Meetings & Events, Inc. For more than 20 years, this award has honored members who have made exemplary contributions to PCMA. "One of the most impressive aspects of Valerie’s commitment is that she has had the unique experience of being a member of the PCMA Headquarters Board at the same time as serving as president-elect and president of the Capital Chapter—PCMA’s largest chapter," said Bill Reed, Senior Vice President of Experient. "I am sure you can imagine the time commitment that both of these responsibilities require. She managed them both beautifully and inspired others around her to be equally as dedicated."

The 2008 Distinguished Meeting Professional of the Year Award winner is Susan Katz, Director of Corporate Events for the True Value Company. The award acknowledges a meeting professional who excels professionally, personally and within his or her community. Katz has been involved with PCMA in numerous ways. She served on the Board of Trustees from 2006-2007, and currently sits on the PCMA Board of Directors. For nearly 20 years, Katz has contributed to the Greater Midwest Chapter

As a testament to her dedication, former co-worker at the National Safety Council, Katherine van den Bogert, said: "When 9/11 hit, we were scheduled to host our annual safety show in Atlanta, Georgia. At that time, no one was getting on an airplane let alone hosting a show. However, Susan decided that the best thing we could do as safety professionals was to host the show. The show was a success all around. Susan’s courage and leadership by example got her team through one of the toughest situations they ever faced."

Sharon Dayal, Director of Event Coordination at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, is the winner of the 2008 Distinguished Convention Services Manager of the Year Award. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of convention services. Dayal boasts nearly 30 years of continuous and progressive experience in the meetings and convention industry, and since 1989 has dedicated herself to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and the development of its customer service model. Dayal and her team provide superior customer service to over 700 events at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre every year.

The winner of the 2008 Outstanding Service to a Chapter of the Year Award is Belinda Waldo, Independent Planner. Waldo was chosen for this honor because of her many contributions to the PCMA Heartland Chapter. Waldo has served as the chapter’s president, on the chapter’s board, and on several chapter committees. She also provides donations for Heartland’s silent auctions; frequently volunteers for community service projects; participates in chapter meetings, educational retreats, and social functions; and has attended every PCMA Annual Meeting since joining in 1992. The Heartland Chapter won the Chapter Challenge at the Annual Meeting in Seattle for donating the greatest amount of money to the PCMA Education Foundation.

 The 2008 Educator of the Year is Cynthia Vannucci, PhD, CHME, CHSP, CMP. The 2008 Educator of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of meetings and hospitality industry education. Prior to her 10 years in academia, Vannucci spent 25 years in hotel management. She currently serves as the Associate Professor, Director of Meeting and Convention Administration at the Metropolitan College of Denver. Additionally, Vannucci has been the faculty advisor of the student club of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of PCMA for the past seven years.

The winner of the 2008 Spirit Award is Concepts Worldwide, Inc., located in Carlsbad, California. The Spirit Award recognizes an organization that has significantly affected lives in a charitable or humanitarian way through the meetings and convention industry. For the past 11 years, Concepts Worldwide, Inc., has overseen countless community outreach projects through its C.A.R.E.S. (Concepts Acting Responsibility for the Environment and Society) Program. Concepts Worldwide strives to connect with the community by assisting in numerous charitable organizations. Their employees regularly participate in various philanthropic activities including charitable walks, delivering meals to home-bound AIDS patients, cheering participants in the Special Olympics, cleaning-up beaches, and renovating an elementary school in Tijuana, Mexico; most recently, Concepts Worldwide has designed an internship program aimed at placing students in meeting planning positions. The organization has even extended the spirit of volunteerism to its clients by encouraging community service activities at the meetings they plan.

This year, PCMA unveiled its newest award, honoring progressive ‘greening’ efforts in the meetings industry—the 2008 Environmental Leadership Award. The winner is Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, for its  Green Partnership Program. This company-wide stewardship program strives to minimize their properties’ operational impact on the environment through resource conservation and best practices. Fairmont’s Canadian hotels pioneered the Green Partnership Program in 1990 and created a guidebook on sustainable practices in the lodging industry. This green philosophy has grown to become a core-value of the company: Under the leadership of their corporate environmental affairs division and hotel-based Green Teams, 26,000 Fairmont employees have become environmental ambassadors, helping protect the habitat, resources and culture of the places where they, and their guests, work, live, and play.

"These Achievement Award winners truly represent the best and brightest in our industry," said said Heidi Welker, Chair, PCMA Achievement Awards and Recognition Committee. "Helping to recognize these influential leaders is an honor."