Noted humanitarian Stephen Lewis, economic analyst Jeremy Siegel and
New York Times columnist David Brooks will headline the Professional Convention Management Associaton's (PCMA) 53rd Annual Meeting, it announced last week. The meeting, taking place Jan. 11-14, 2009, in New Orleans, will feature the theme "Convening Leaders."
"We are ecstatic about our general session speakers," PCMA President and CEO Deborah Sexton said in a statement. "These talented individuals will not only inspire, motivate and inform our annual meeting attendees, but I'm confident that these speakers will also prepare our attendees for the challenges of our future."
Lewis, who
Time magazine has honored as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, will open the PCMA meeting on Monday, Jan. 12, with a presentation on "Uncommon Leadership." In it, he will not only examine the qualities of international leaders such as Nelson Mandela, President Bill Clinton and Microsoft's Bill Gates, but also discuss the importance of everyday leaders in their local communities.
Siegel, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and the former head of economic training at JP Morgan, will speak on Tuesday. His presentation, titled "What's Next for the Markets and the Economy," will explain the country's current economic crisis, its root causes and its future implications.
Brooks, who is an Op-Ed columnist for
The New York Times and a commentator on PBS'
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrere, will bring the PCMA meeting to a close on Wednesday, Jan. 14, with a presentation titled, "The New Ruling Class: What it Means to the U.S., Our World and Our Industry," in which he'll give an insider's perspective on hot-button political issues.
In addition to speakers, the PCMA Annual Meeting will feature convention industry-specific breakouts, networking events and—for the first time during the PCMA Annual Meeting—a CMP Exam, currently scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 10.
"We have booked the most thought-provoking, timely education and, in true PCMA tradition, outstanding networking functions," Sexton said. "Together with our enthusiastic hosts in New Orleans, the PCMA Annual Meeting will excite the meetings community for the year ahead."
For more information about the PCMA Annual Meeting, or to register to attend, visit
www.pcma.org.