PCMA EXPANDS INTO ASIA-PACIFIC
THE Professional Conference Management Association (PCMA) is set for significant growth in Australia, after the organisation’s purchase of the Incentive, Conference and Events Society Asia-Pacific (ICESAP) was confirmed this week (BEN breaking news Tue).
Established in 2014 by Nigel Gaunt, founder of The Mint Organisation which was sold in 2007 to BI Worldwide, ICESAP is now based in Singapore and was set up to boost standards in the business events sector across the region. Gaunt told Business Events
News the deal was “validation of the investment of time and money I have made over the past four years in establishing what I felt was needed for our industry in Asia Pacific”.
He said the PCMA deal would likely see the combined organisation have an “increased presence in all key markets” including Australia - and will also see ICESAP continue to deliver its commitment to agency accreditation, member education and advocacy.
“A stronger ICESAP under PCMA is a win-win and will define our actions in the years ahead,” Gaunt added.
PCMA is based in Chicago, USA and has operations across North America including Canada and Mexico along with members in more than 40 countries worldwide.
Melbourne Convention Bureau ceo Karen Bolinger is a member of the PCMA advisory board, and the organisation has also provided the educational stream at AIME in recent years.
It’s early days yet for the alliance, but PCMA has confirmed that ICESAP will continue to operate under its existing brand and led by Gaunt for at least the next two years.
Further details of the benefits flowing from the acquisition for ICESAP and PCMA members are expected to be unveiled next month at the upcoming ICESAP conference at the brand new W Hotel The Bund in Shanghai.
Registrations are still open for the event - for more information see icesap.org/conference.
Gaunt is pictured left sealing the deal with PCMA chief operating officer Sherrif Karamat, along with Claire Smith, chair-elect of the PCMA board, plus (standing) ICESAP marketing & membership manager Philip Pang and PCMA senior director of global strategy, Michelle Crowley.