
Chapter News


The December Issue of The Bridge, Northern California Chapter’s Magazine
As I close out my role the President of our incredible chapter, I am overcome with a mix of gratitude, nostalgia, and pride. Serving as your President over the past

The Bridge News Magazine
Announcing The Bridge, Northern California Chapter’s Magazine We are excited to share with you the launch of our newly redesigned news magazine, The Bridge, for the Professional Convention Management Association

Nov/ Dec 2021 The Bridge Newsletter
Recovery, Relaunch and a Start to the Holiday Season! The Holidays are upon us and hopefully you’re staying busy with events to close out the year! Our Industry continues to

Chapter Challenge
Chapter Challenge The PCMA Chapter Challenge is here! PCMA Foundation is hosting the annual PCMA Foundation Raffle. To get everyone excited for Convening Leaders 2022, PCMA Foundation has added some

Sept 2021 The Bridge Newsletter
Orange October and BAMIES 2021 PCMA NCC September 2021 The Bridge Newsletter is now available. Click here to read the latest chapter newsletter with stories from our president, #TahoeStrong, Virtual Events,

July 2021 The Bridge Newsletter
Dog Days of Summer and Life After Lockdown! PCMA NCC July 2021 The Bridge Newsletter is now available. Click here for a message from our President, recaps from L.E.A.P. and

Our Hybrid L.E.A.P. Event Made the News!
On May 20th, our L.E.A.P. event, titled “360 Wellness for Optimal Success” had the distinction of being the first hybrid program produced by a Bay Area events industry association. Barbara

Special Next Gen Rate
Next Gen Rate: PCMA now has a member rate for the Next Generation of the Meetings & Events industry! If you’re under the age of 30, join or renew your

May 2021 The Bridge Newsletter
Catch up on Chapter News! PCMA NCC May 2021 The Bridge Newsletter is now available. Click here for a message from our President, recaps, sponsor news and what is coming

March 2021 The Bridge Newsletter
The Hybrid World – Your Chapter is Paying Attention PCMA NCC March 2021 The Bridge Newsletter is now available. Click here for a message from our President, recaps, sponsor news

Student Apprentice Program Opportunity
A New Collective Impact Approach Offers Inclusive Entry-Level Opportunities for the Meetings and Events Industry Our industry is committed to providing more job opportunities for all individuals. For those interested in

New Year, Fresh Start ~ Catch up with Chapter News
PCMA NCC January 2021 The Bridge Newsletter is now available. Find out what your chapter has been up to and what’s coming up by clicking here.

READ ALL ABOUT IT! Q3 – November 2019 – The Bridge Newsletter is now available!
PCMANCC Q-3 2019 The Bridge Newsletter is now available. Find out what your chapter has been up to and what’s coming up by clicking here.

READ ALL ABOUT IT! Q2 – August 2019 – The Bridge Newsletter is now available
PCMANCC Q-2 2019 The Bridge Newsletter is now available. Find out what your chapter has been up to and what’s coming up by clicking here.

Freeman – When Emerging Trends Become Best Practices – Gold Sponsor Highlight
With the world changing constantly, it’s vital to understand emerging trends. But how do trends affect you, your business, and your brand experiences? I spoke with Erik Heitmeyer, Senior Business

Caesars Entertainment Gold Sponsor Highlight
Caesars Entertainment, a Gold level Sponsor in 2018 is the world’s most diversified casino-entertainment provider and the most geographically diverse U.S. casino-entertainment company. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, in

San Francisco Travel Association Diamond Sponsor Highlight
San Francisco has been going through major transformations in the last few years. I had the chance to catch up with Anthony Mancuso from the San Francisco Travel Association to learn

Unmasked – PCMA’s BAMIES
The veil was lifted on the newly renovated Palace Hotel, which hosted the 9th Annual 2018 PCMANCC Bay Area Meeting Industry Excellence (BAMIES) Awards, our Chapter’s 25th Anniversary and our

IMEX America 2018: Recap
The eighth annual and largest ever IMEX meetings convention took place again in Las Vegas, October 16-18, 2018 at the Sands Expo. With an estimated 13,000 attendees including 3500 exhibitors

Navigating Failure – Back to School Educational Event Remembered
We all fail. It’s a simple fact of life and sometimes it’s not an easy pill to swallow. The question is, what do you do AFTER you’ve experienced a “failure”?

Why PCMA?
We love to check in with our members to find out what draws them to PCMA and the value that keeps them coming back. In this edition, we caught up

Apply for a Scholarship to Convening Leaders in Pittsburgh
Click here and apply for a scholarship today!! Deadline is Monday, November 26th. Winner will be notified by November 30th. Scholarship includes: – Registration – Hotel – Air (up to

PCMA Northern California Movers & Shakers
Showcasing the achievements and success of our chapter members and community ~ join PCMA NCC in congratulating our Movers & Shakers! Carolynn Santos, Strategic and Intentional Experience Creator Congratulations to

BAMIES Call for Volunteers and Sponsorships
It’s not too early to start planning on what you want to do for this year’s BAMIES. The unveiling of the newly renovated Grand Ballroom at the Palace Hotel will

Confessions of a First-time LEAP Planner
I recently chatted with Samantha Brown, Outside Sales Manager for Off the Grid, to get her impressions on planning this year’s L.E.A.P. (Learning.Engage.Act.Particpate) day on May 17 at the Walnut

Visit Oakland!
I recently had a chance to connect with Rhanee Palma of Visit Oakland, and here’s a recap of a few things she had to share about the latest and greatest

Why PCMA?
We asked chapter members Carolyn Yim and Gary Murakami why they joined PCMA: “PCMA is a leading organization in the meetings & events industry that connects business event strategists through

Schmoozing in a Yacht on the Bay
When President-Elect Elisa Sandoval Wong took the microphone, she said, “When we met at our Board retreat earlier this year, we wondered what we were doing for our members. We decided

L.E.A.P. focuses in on INCLUSION
This year’s L.E.A.P. (Learning. Engage. Act. Participate) program is being hosted by the Walnut Creek Visitors Bureau at the Walnut Creek Marriott Hotel on May 17. The annual day-long educational

Why PCMA?
We asked chapter members Roberta Kravitz & Elaine Rothenhaus why they joined PCMA: “As a long-time member of PCMA, I recognize that there are several things that set our community

GMID at AT&T Was A-OK
From Edmonton to Nairobi, from Cleveland to Austin, in Europe and in Asia, April 12, 2018 was Global Meetings Industry Day. In our little corner of the world, which is Northern California,

PCMA Northern California Movers & Shakers
Showcasing the achievements and success of our chapter members and community ~ join PCMA NCC in congratulating our Movers & Shakers! Ken Edhammer, Associate Director of Sales, Hotel Kabuki |

A Conversation with Platinum Sponsor, Giants Enterprises
We recently had a chance to have a conversation with the good folks at Giants Enterprises. Have a read at what they have to say. Q: Why is it important

Visit Walnut Creek; LEAP is!
Scott Slocum, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing at the Walnut Creek Convention & Visitors Bureau (www.visitwalnutcreek.org) recently provided an update on new developments in Walnut Creek. Scott says that

PCMANCC Rallying Cry
To elevate is to lift up, rise, ascend. We intend to lift up our membership, rise as a committed group of volunteers and help ascend to a new level of

Convening Leaders 2018 Nashville Recap
For those who have contemplated attending PCMA’s Convening Leaders Conference but have yet to do so, we wanted to share just a few highlights from our trip this past January.

PCMA Northern California Movers & Shakers
Showcasing the achievements and success of our chapter members and community ~ join PCMA NCC in congratulating our Movers & Shakers! Sammy Ramos, General Manager, The Lexington Ridge Inn

PIPO Shares Some Words to Plan By…
Pipo was a very busy mascot at this year’s Convening Leaders in Nashville. Floating from one event to another, check out a few of the great tidbits that Pipo took

PCMANCC’s 25 Year Anniversary – You’ve come a Long Way!
In 1993, a small group of intrepid bay area meeting industry leaders set out to form the Northern California Chapter of what was then known as the Professional Convention Management

An interview with Zorianna Smith, 2018 PCMANCC President
We had a chance to talk to our new Chapter President, Zorianna Smith. Here’s how our conversation went: Q: Hey Zorianna, I think our readers would like to know a

Why PCMA?
We asked chapter member Sammy Ramos why he joined PCMA: “PCMA has stayed cutting edge and relevant to the trends on what drives changes to our industry. PCMA does a

What’s Happening in Monterey?
I recently had the opportunity to interview Mark McMinn, VP of Sales at the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Monterey County is one of the top destinations for meetings and events, and

BAMIES 2017- Oh what a night…
It’s no easy feat pulling off an event as amazing as the BAMIE’s, but this year’s event exceeded expectations thanks to a great team and the great leadership of Alex

Behind the Lens – A Conversation with Katelyn Tucker
You’ve seen her at our PCMA NCC events and many other industry events around the bay area, Katelyn Tucker, Staff Photographer at Orange Photography captures the essence of our events.

Wine Country Is Open For Business
In a year that has seen multiple disasters, due to an act of nature or domestic terrorism, the effect on which these events have had on their respective communities has

The State of the Industry in the Bay Area
Anthony Mancuso, SF Travel Association The Bay Area has seen its share of growth over the past year and its share of challenges like any other area across the country.

PCMA NCC Annual Bay Area Meetings Industry Excellence Awards (BAMIES) – Supplier of the Year
Spotlight on Erik Heitmeyer, Senior Business Development Manager, Expositions at Freeman – 2017 Supplier of the Year The best part of Erik Heitmeyer’s day? Watching the sun rise over the East