Trust, Leadership, & Authentic Conversations
Day one set a dynamic tone, centred around trust and collaboration. The keynote speaker, Michael Bungay Stanier, renowned for his work in personal development, talked about how strained relationships can block creativity and productivity, stressing the importance of creating “safe, vital, and repairable” connections. He said: “Working relationships rooted in trust and open communication lead to collective success.” Jaime Bennett, Managing Director EMEA at PCMA echoed his words in her speech saying that “in our industry collaboration is what pushes us to innovate and trust is the glue for this.”
A standout session was “The Coaching Habit,” where Bungay Stanier led senior leaders through an interactive exploration of coaching techniques. The goal was to demystify coaching and help participants practise asking the right questions, such as “What’s the real challenge here for you?” and “What do you want?” This session tackled some real-world leadership challenges, including managing over-dependent teams, reducing feelings of overwhelm, and reconnecting with the broader purpose of one’s work. Bungay Stanier also guided us through balancing ‘bad,’ ‘good,’ and ‘great’ work, encouraging everyone to focus more on the ‘great’ to achieve greater impact.
One of the more unconventional yet highly engaging sessions was “The Hour of the Rant,” led by Claus Raasted. This candid discussion gave participants a space to air complaints that often go unspoken, whether it was frustration over client demands or confusion about conference dress codes. By encouraging blunt, honest dialogue, the session sought to spark meaningful change, showing that sometimes, venting is a necessary precursor to improvement.
Embracing Strategic Focus & Change
Day two carried the momentum forward with an inspiring keynote by Abir Haddoud, a strategist known for her bold ideas around strategic focus and minimalism. Haddoud introduced the concept of ‘anti-routine,’ encouraging attendees to prioritise actions that have real, long-term impact and align with core organisational strengths. Her message – “Do less but do it better” – challenged everyone in the room to rethink their approach to decision-making and focus on what truly matters. “We need to find in us to say no to distractions, make intentional decisions and channel our efforts towards impactful, long-term strategies,” said Sherrif Karamat,President & CEO of PCMA & CEMA.
Technology and AI also took centre stage with the AI Micro Lab session, led by Veemal Gungadin, CEO of GEVME. We got hands-on with SPARK, an AI-driven tool designed to streamline the event planning process. This practical session was a game-changer, offering a glimpse into the future of event management, where routine tasks can be automated, freeing up more time for creative and strategic thinking.
In a session titled “You Could Be the Change – The Inner Dimension of Sustainability,” Daniel Hires reframed sustainability from an internal perspective. We explored how leadership and adaptive strategies can shift us from merely surviving to thriving in a sustainable world. By simplifying complex problems and reducing organisational bureaucracy, the session offered valuable lessons on how to boost innovation and agility within large organisations.
Exploring the Intersection of Climate & Business Events
As Convening EMEA concluded, we moved into the inaugural Convene4Climate on 2-3 October 2024. Organised by PCMA in collaboration with the Strategic Alliance of National Convention Bureaus of Europe (SANCBE), this new event focused on how the business events industry can actively address the climate crisis.
An evening of tech exploration offered the smaller selection of attendees an inside look on key projects that can help the industry evolve in a sustainable way. An AI water optimisation tool that empowers people to make sustainable choices in every shower and the Sustainability Hub for Events (SHE) – an AI-driven platform designed to simplify the process of creating sustainable events – were among the projects.
One of the most compelling moments came during the keynote from Paul Dickinson, who perfectly captured the event’s essence: “Events are the thinking machine of the world. You are the thinkers that can change the world.” This set the tone for the sessions that followed, which looked into the real, tangible steps the industry can take to combat climate change.
A session on sustainable aviation featured Lufthansa’s ambitious target of reducing CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030. Discussions around Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) offered insights into both the opportunities and challenges of eco-friendly travel. While SAF promises a more sustainable future, its higher costs present challenges. Nevertheless, the session made it clear that sustainability will soon become a key competitive advantage as more attendees look for greener travel options.
Meanwhile, we also explored circular event models, where participants learned how to apply the principles of nature – reduce, reuse, recycle – to create events that minimise waste and maximise resource efficiency. The workshops were practical and insightful, equipping us with actionable strategies to host more sustainable events.
To wrap up, attendees engaged in hands-on exercises, mapping out the most impactful tactics and outlining the next steps for implementation. This resulted in a sense of collective purpose, reinforcing that meaningful progress is possible when we collaborate across sectors and focus on long-term solutions.
A surprising and touching poetry performance at the closing announced that the next PCMA Convening EMEA will be held in Rotterdam, on 15 – 17 October 2025.