The Event Marketing Association
(EMA) has been taken over by PCMA.
EMA’s membership
consists of 800 UK-based corporate event marketing professionals who will
immediately become part of the PCMA community.
The news was announced during PCMA’s
flagship annual meeting in the US this week. The acquisition follows PCMA’s
takeover in 2020 of CEMA – the corporate event marketing association.
EMA chair Richard Waddington said: “The opportunity of merging
into PCMA and joining forces with CEMA to grow the representation and voice of
the corporate internationally is an opportunity for EMA not to be missed. PCMA
will bring far greater resource and capability, the opportunity for greater
growth and most important far greater value for our members and partners.”
The news is part of a slew of acquisitions and alliances announced
by PCMA. The US-based professional convention management association has also acquired
the Event Leadership Institute (ELI) to bolster its education portfolio and announced
a ‘strategic alliance’ with the USA-based trade body the National
Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP)
Speaking at Convening Leaders
2023 in Columbus, Ohio, PCMA president Sherrif Karamat said: “As of today, we
are only moving forward – blazing a trail forward with and for the global
business events community. We will innovate. We will take risks. We will get
outside our comfort zone. And we will always do it for our audiences.”
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
