The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has announced its annual "20 in Their Twenties" list of rising stars in the industry. Supported by the PCMA Education Foundation and Visit Seattle, this fifth class of top young professionals will be recognized during Convening Leaders in Nashville on Jan. 7-10, 2018.
The winners were selected from a pool of about 50 applicants who were employed full time in the business-events industry, were 29 years old or younger at the time of recognition, and demonstrated ways they considered themselves to be industry leaders. Applicants were not required to be PCMA members. A committee of veteran industry professionals and previous 20 in Their Twenties honorees reviewed the applications in detail before narrowing down the list to the 20 winners.
"This is our fifth class of the 20 brightest talents in the industry worldwide," said Deborah Sexton, PCMA president and CEO. "Each year, we continue to be inspired by the passion and insights these individuals bring to the business events community. It is our honor to recognize the excellence of these emerging innovative leaders."
The winners will receive a scholarship registration to attend Convening Leaders in January, complimentary registration for PCMA's June 2018 conference in Cleveland, as well as one year of PCMA membership. In addition, recipients will receive membership and registration discounts for the next two years.
"The 20 in Their Twenties program is a great way to recognize and engage rising stars in the industry," said Rob Hampton, senior vice president of convention sales and services for Visit Seattle. "It gives young professionals the opportunity to build camaraderie among their peers and gives us -- the veterans in the industry -- a chance to hear fresh ideas and perspectives and nurture new talent. This is a program Visit Seattle is proud to support."
The winners are:
Alexandra Adsit, CMP, CEM
Meeting Planner
AAMC
Charlottesville, VA
Chloe Armstrong
Bid Executive
Melbourne Convention Bureau
Melbourne, Australia
Sina Bünte, DES
Events Manager
ICCA
Amsterdam Netherlands
Erica Critzer, CMP
Regional Director of Sales
Visit Dallas
Arlington, VA
Patrick Crosson, CMP
Producer
agencyEA,
Chicago, IL
Carmen Ferrari, CMP
Events and Marketing Manager
European Photonics Industry Consortium
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Idil Findikoğlu,
Marketing Manager
Kenes Group
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Karin Hagemann
Head of Convention Bureau
Montreux-Vevey Tourisme & Convention Bureau
Bern Area, Switzerland
Caitlin Hume, CMP
Business Events Manager
Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc (RIMS)
New York, NY
Chloe Lai
Conference Producer
Medical Conference Partners
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Annamarie Luccarelli
Project Coordinator, Conferences and Educational Programs
Harborside Press
Trenton, NJ
Samantha Mele
Proposal & Product Developer
JPdL
Toronto, ON
Cahal Mowery, MBA, CMP, CTA
Director of Sales & Catering
JW Marriott Houston Downtown
Houston, TX
Brittany Saylor
Senior Meeting Planner
Right Hand Events
San Diego, CA
Barrie Schwartz
Founder/CEO
My House Social
New Orleans, LA
Allison Shebek
Associate Director of Experience Design
AlliedPRA
Phoenix, AZ
Kyle Smith, DES
Digital Event Strategist
Conference Consultancy South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa
Sara Stehle, CMP
Conference Specialist
International Association of Fire Chiefs
Washington, D.C.
Andrew Sykes
Assistant General Manager
FMAV
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Rasheena Wilson, CMP
Meeting and Exhibits Coordinator
American Society of Nephrology
Washington, D.C.