Business View Magazine | April 2019

97 LIFTING ALL BOATS The social impact aspect of the business events industry is a component that is becom- ing increasingly more popular at business events. This can be as simple as organizing a group of attendees to clean up a park, build a home, or pack lunch kits for disadvantaged youth. "At this year's Convening Leaders, PCMA's sig- nature annual event, several of our presenters spoke about doing good and changing the world," Karamat says. "It had a profound effect on our thousands of Convening Leaders par- ticipants. PCMA member Anthony Prusak was so moved by Convening Leaders that he went home and raised money to buy lunch for one shift of Cleveland Airport TSA agents who had been working without pay during the recent U.S. government shutdown. He raised enough money to feed all 280 TSA agents at the air- port. That is just one way business events can drive social transformation." Another way is the simple economic impact of business events. When an association brings AT A GLANCE THE PROFESSIONAL CONVENTION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION WHAT: An association representing business events professionals WHERE: Chicago, Illinois WEBSITE: www.pcma.org THE PROFESSIONAL CONVENTION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION PCMA Convening Leaders 2019 in Pittsburgh (by Jacob SlatonPhotography)