Workspring always strives to know what’s going on within the world of Corporate Meeting Planners, Executive Administrative Assistants, and all the others who plan meetings. In one of our previous blog posts, Workspring mentioned our involvement in PCMA’s Convening Leaders 2015. We gained dozens of different insights, but would like to echo

At Convening Leaders 2015, more than 4,000 meeting planners and suppliers tackled the key issues currently impacting their organizations, but the present tense wasn’t the only piece of the conversation. The audience was equally focused on looking well into the future, too. On the opening day of the conference, six C-level veterans gathered for a panel discussion to predict the future of associations — and what that future means for meeting planners. Here’s a look at three key ingredients that will help planners move forward.

A New Name

At ASA, that evolution is already well underway with Chris Wehking, CMP and PCMA’s Past Chairman of the Board of Directors, occupying the role of Chief Program Officer. In addition to overseeing all of ASA’s meetings and events, Wehking’s responsibilities include membership, marketing and corporate relations.

“We may want to develop new terminology other than ‘meetings’ to define a planner’s role,” Paul Pomerantz, CEO, American Society of Anesthesiologists, said. “We want you to do more than meetings. We believe the meeting planner can evolve into a C-level position.”

More Education

As more meeting planners work to play a role in shaping high-level organizational strategies, the panelists highlighted the need for more time in the classroom prior to earning that coveted seat at the table.

“We’re going to see more demand that meeting executives have MBAs,” Thomas Dolan, Ph.D, FACHE, FASAE, President Emeritus, American College of Healthcare Executives, said. “An MBA is going to become almost a requirement, along with the CMP designation.”

Directions For Global Navigation

The next generation of members and attendees will not be confined to North America and Europe. With markets in Asia, the Middle East and Africa emerging as major business destinations, associations will need to capitalize on international opportunities to expand their communities. Meeting planners must be conscious of the need to learn the ins and outs of doing business in new parts of the world.

*Read the full PCMA article here.

What are your thoughts on how meeting planning will change? What about as it relates to technology, innovation, the economy, transportation, anything?