PCMA and CINZ sign strategic alliance agreement

Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) have announced an agreement to work together to support and professionally develop the New Zealand business events community’s skills and capacity through education.

Karen Bolinger, PCMA Managing Director for APAC, said this partnership is a great opportunity to support post-pandemic business events industry recovery and to build both organisations through collaboration and cross promotion. 

“Through our new alliance we recognise the unique qualities and services each of us offer to our respective membership bases, and how a collaborative approach can support not only each other but the business events community. 

“PCMA is looking forward to working more closely with the New Zealand business events community, who we see as a strong market with enormous potential on the world stage,” said Ms Bolinger.

CINZ Chief Executive, Lisa Hopkins said the agreement with PCMA signals major benefits for New Zealand business events professionals and the wider industry.

“PCMA is the world’s largest, most respected and most recognised network of business events strategists. With 7,000 members and an audience of 50,000, with 17 chapters and activities in 30 countries, it is positioned as the global leader in business events.

“CINZ members will now have access to PCMA’s exceptional education content, including the highly sought after Digital Events Strategist (DES) certificate program,  and COVID recovery resources to foster their development.

“This will also include working together to develop education sessions at each PCMA and CINZ conference. CINZ will also work with Tourism New Zealand Business Events’ partners to support future group attendance from New Zealand at PCMA’s Convening Leaders’ summit,” said Ms Hopkins.

This alliance will also aid in researching the scale and value of business events for the region. 

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors: 

For interviews with Karen Bolinger, please contact:

Jessica Kauffman I Senior Account Manager I ZADRO 

jessica@zadroagency.com.au or via +61 400 433 182

About Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)

• PCMA’s APAC operations are led by Karen Bolinger with a team in Melbourne and Singapore.
• PCMA APAC has a strong presence in our region and represents the event buyer across Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia and North Asia.
• PCMA is the world’s largest platform for business events strategists and their business partners, PCMA’s success is driven by a commitment to providing provocative executive level education, face-to-face networking and business intelligence to its global audience of 7,000 member professionals and students.
• PCMA believes business events can economically and socially transform communities, enterprises and individuals. 
• Through its Ascent leadership initiative to promote inclusion and diversity across the business events industry and beyond, PCMA seeks to empower those challenged by gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or disabilities to find success.
• Visit us at pcma.org or LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ)

• CINZ www.conventionsnz.co.nz is the official, membership-based association of New Zealand’s conference and business events industry with more than 460 members across a broad range of sectors.
• CINZ takes a leadership role in increasing meetings, incentives, conference and events business for the benefit of its members, principal stakeholders and the New Zealand economy.
• CINZ works to actively promote the sector, providing advocacy with central government and offering assistance, information, professional development and real business opportunities to its members.
• CINZ manages New Zealand’s only national annual trade show MEETINGS, which generated over $62 million during its two days in Auckland in 2019.

Images 

1. Karen Bolinger, PCMA Managing Director for APAC

        2. Lisa Hopkins, CINZ Chief Executive