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Deborah Sexton, President & CEO, Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), Discusses Convention Planning Trends

By Timothy Herrick
Editorial Director

(A slightly shorter version of this interview originally appeared in the 2008 Facilities & Destinations SuperBook)

There are few better ways to take the pulse of the meetings and conventions industry than a conversation with Deborah Sexton, who has served as President & CEO of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) since 2005. A 30-year veteran of the meetings and conventions segment of the hospitality industry,  Sexton has been President of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Coastal Hotel Group and was a principal at Sexton Hospitality Services, a sales and marketing consulting firm for hotel management companies.

Since its first annual meeting in 1956, PCMA has been representing the leading executives and meeting planners who make conventions and trade shows not only possible but the lifeblood of industries and professions worldwide. The national and global economy rely on these meetings for growth and innovation and those meetings would not possess the effectiveness without the PCMA, which now boasts more than 6,000 members.

In addition to being at the PCMA’s helm, Sexton currently serves on the Convention Industry Council Executive Committee as Secretary/Treasurer. She also is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), the International Association for Expositions and Events, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). She formerly served on the Foundation Board of Trustees of both ASAE and DMAI, and was an officer of the Board of Directors of MPI. In addition to the MPI Board term, Sexton served a second term on the MPI Board Executive Committee.

 In this SPOTLIGHT interview, Sexton spoke mainly about the various trends impacting the industry, which include: the acceleration of planning, shorter booking windows, new technology and the growing Green Awareness. Mainly, however, Sexton is steadfastly upbeat about the industry she serves—and the education-centric direction the PCMA has taken—and the growing magnitude of the roles of convention and meeting planners play.

FACILITIES & DESTINATIONS: What strikes you as the most significant change in conventions now compared to when you started?

DEBORAH SEXTON: Probably the number and quality of Destinations and Facilities vying for meetings business, and the increasing and continual sophistication of the meetings business. 

F&D: What issue do convention planners face in this new century that did not exist when you started?

DS: The speed at which things move, the technology, the lack of time, the faster turn around. The shift in focus of really creating an experience versus simply executing on expected details. All these are a part of the mix today in a way they simply weren’t years ago.

F&D: In terms of convention center features, what feature that did not exist five years ago are you most excited about today?

DS: Not that they didn’t exist at all, but the continued enhancement of center services and F & B—from the Starbucks and Fed-Ex Kinkos to the food courts and name brand shopping and dining—versus the more generic center fare. 

F&D: Is the booking window getting longer or shorter? 

DS: A bit of both—with large events really placing dates further out—but generally shorter. People are waiting longer to decide if a meeting is really necessary and if they determine it is, then there’s a tighter turnaround time frame for event planning and production.

F&D: Education, seminars and workshops seem to be growing throughout all conventions. Do you see this trend continuing?

DS: We have seen and do expect the trend to continue. People are looking for education. They need to stay on top of their game to remain competitive. Education adds so much to this equation, especially for the more traditional tradeshows.  It’s also true that  networking around education can be as or more fruitful than on a trade show floor.

F&D: How important is a green meeting and a green venue becoming to your association and how is your association participating in the green movement?

DS: This is not a fad and it even goes beyond a trend. This is tied with corporate social responsibility, the environment, of course, savings, board dictates, the pushing of attendees. (PCMA) held our first zero-waste meeting in Toronto in 2007. This year in Seattle we supported the production and distribution of the New Green Events Source Book and one of our masters series programs-very well attended I might add-was on green meetings. We are moving to more online content, fewer printed handouts, shorter programs, and even printing on recycled paper both in house and for external materials and many office green advances.  This is not a fad, goes beyond a trend and will affect our entire industry. I actually think that fairly soon the majority of meetings will shift from beginning to be green to continuing to this being the regular course of business. 
 

F&D: What is the biggest challenge now for Professional Convention Management Association members and how has the organization responded to that challenge? 
   
DS: Our biggest challenge is to keep our members the best in their field, to help them demonstrate the value that they can deliver to their organizations. We are providing more and more tools to help our members become increasingly strategic and valuable to their organization, to help them continue the shift from logistics to strategy and carving out a seat at the table.

F&D: Why is an emphasis on strategy is more beneficial than logistics for meeting planners?

DS: Our recent CEO Survey said they expect logistics proficiency but they’re looking for their meetings to become more strategic and more a part of the team that delivers value to members and customers. Logistics are assumed. The superior professionals in our industry—the leaders—are those who use strategy to focus on what’s to be delivered, think ahead to anticipate needs, and determine how to aid the development and advancement of their audience.