All Part of the Plan: PCMA's Chair Looks Ahead

Judging from the way Leigh Wintz talks about the Professional Convention Management Assn.'s year-old strategic plan, you would think it was the Holy Grail. And after Wintz becomes PCMA chairwoman this week, she will put the plan on an even higher pedestal, as she inherits the responsibility for promoting its primary goals: to use principles of professional performance to drive educational initiatives and identify broad industry issues for advocacy and education purposes.

However, this is no daunting task for Wintz, who has served on the American Society of Assn. Executives board and, for the last 15 years, has led a global organization.

Wintz spoke with Tradeshow Week Senior Assistant Editor Rachelle Crum about her impending term as chairwoman, the importance of industry partnerships and why she just can't say no to volunteering.

Question: Why volunteer to lead PCMA?

Answer: I don't know how to say no. (Laughs.)

I started out with an interest in international meetings. I ended up chairing the international relations committee for four years, and then I got on the PCMA board.

Q: What do you hope to gain from your experience as 2006 PCMA chairwoman?

A: PCMA is the only professional environment where our supplier partners are truly peers and we're not put in a buyer-seller relationship. We (in PCMA) really approach the problems and the issues in the meetings community as equal partners.

Q: What are your top goals for your term?

A: I am one who doesn't believe in personal goals. There are the organizational goals, and I just want to have us continue in the direction that the current board has already set, with the adoption of the strategic plan.

We're only one year into it, and we're constantly modifying and monitoring it. It's all about working the plan and keeping our eye on the mission of the organization and delivering the best education that we can.

Q: What else is on your agenda for this year?

A: There are a lot of changes in the environment. So, we want to keep ourselves open to opportunities to collaborate with strategic partners, with other folks that have a stake in the industry, such as MPI (Meeting Professionals Intl.), ASAE, the Natl. Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, ACOM (Assn. for Convention Operations Management), CIC (Convention Industry Council) and IAEM (Intl. Assn. for Exhibition Management).

We term it coopetition, a combination of the words cooperation and competition. We don't really view each other as competitors for members. It's all about forming the most strategic alliances we can to solve problems.

I think people in the industry often see us all as competitors, and I really don't think that we are necessarily. We may have similar interests, but we also have some unique niches.

Q: Many people in the meetings, conventions and tradeshow industries are concerned about not having a unified voice in Washington, D.C. Do you think this is important?

A: There are certainly a lot of issues going on that we all need to have a voice (in). Some of our partner organizations — the travel industry and others — already have a strong presence.

Where (PCMA) can weigh in on advocacy issues, we should, we can and we will. But it's not been part and parcel of our everyday existence. There is no government relations staff person or whatever, and I think that is one of the areas where we're looking to do more of this collaboration and cooperation.

Q: Do you see PCMA consolidating with any other organizations in the next year?

A: I don't think anybody's talking merger.

Q: What initiatives, started by outgoing PCMA Chairman Gregg Talley, do you plan to continue?

A: Everything. Gregg's done a fabulous job. But I know he believes that it's all about working the plan, and certainly our professional education development, and the tiers and everything that's branded with that.

Q: What changes to the annual meeting do you support most?

A: Well, certainly Executive Edge is a phenomenal program. We may actually be growing that aspect of the program, either in conjunction with or even in addition to the annual meeting. So, that's pretty exciting.

And having the partnership at Wharton (School of the University of Pennsylvania) to get that program produced this year is really kind of special. We're taking advantage of the venue where we are (for the meeting).

Q: How have PCMA's charitable efforts changed in recent years?

A: I think the Network for Needy has certainly grown. It's part of a growing trend in volunteerism in general. That certainly, as a CEO of a volunteer service organization for business and professional women, I'm delighted to see.

A lot of people expect to give back to their communities. It's a nice adjunct to doing good in the world. I think it's part of the strength in our chapters, the work that they do in the local community. It gives people a reason to come together other than just professionally. It makes for a nice culture and environment in PCMA.

Q: This is the first year that many industry groups' meetings (including PCMA's) have included accompanying blogs. Has this form of social media benefited PCMA?

A: I think they're great. I kind of look at them as on-the-spot reporting.

I think associations, in general, might as well put their own official blog up, because they're going to happen anyway.

Q: What lessons have you learned as executive director of Soroptimist Intl. that will apply to your PCMA chairmanship?

A: Soroptimist is a truly international organization. For instance, at my board of directors meetings, we have foreign interpreters. I have a 15-member board and they're from all over the world.

So, the ability to run an association, trying to keep my eye on the mission and the strategic plan, and having to do that in a way that is internationally understandable and compatible, will help with being on the volunteer side of PCMA.

You have to learn to communicate clearly. And if I can facilitate the board, give the staff a clear direction, full support and the resources to do the job that we've laid out, then I think that would be great.

Q: What is your outlook for the next five years for the meetings and conventions industry?

A: I think there's huge potential, as we've gotten more and more immersed and busier with the support of technology. E-mail drives me absolutely nuts; I average more than 100 a day. And because of that, our face-to-face meetings are even more important.