PARTICIPANTS: Access the CL26 Event Platform »4 days
to shape what’s next, together.
Making History, Together
At Convening Leaders 2026, education is designed by and for our industry’s leaders—curated to challenge assumptions, elevate skills, and equip you for what’s next in the business of events. Across four days, you’ll experience keynote inspiration, intimate conversations, and hands-on sessions built around three powerful content pillars: Unity, Legacy, and Momentum.
Content that Makes History
legacy
Honoring history as a foundation for future innovation and purpose-driven progress.
CL26 creates a space where legacy is the compass leading us to new insights and inspiring breakthroughs, from looking back to move forward.
momentum
Driving transformation in business events through innovation, strategy, and bold action.
CL26 provides the tools, the insights, and the inspiration you need to transform challenges into opportunities and to turn potential into reality.
unity
Harnessing collective power, inclusive leadership, and shared vision to shape what’s next.
CL26 creates an environment where you can connect and collaborate with leaders from diverse sectors and backgrounds.
Full Schedule
Subject to change and continuously updated.
Sunday Workshops
Enhance your CL26 experience with one of the following workshops.
Negotiation Intensive with Professor Deepak Malhotra
Date: Sunday, January 11 | 9:00am – 4:00pm
Speaker: Professor Deepak Malhotra, Eli Goldston Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
Sharpen your negotiation skills in this full-day, executive-only intensive led by one of Harvard’s most acclaimed professors. Learn how to prepare for and execute complex negotiations, anticipate obstacles, and close deals that create and capture value. Walk away with a personalized negotiation playbook designed to strengthen your influence and outcomes across every deal.
Cost: $599 Members / $899 Non-Members (Limited to 80 participants)
Best for: Managers, Executives & Senior Leaders
Register now and add to your CL26 experience in your Participant Portal.
Smart Data, Stronger Experiences: How AI-Powered Analysis Can Elevate Your Events
Date: Sunday, January 11 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Speaker: Princess Castleberry, Castleberry Global Speakers
Stop relying on instinct to make sense of participant data. This hands-on workshop shows you how to leverage AI — including Spark, PCMA’s generative AI tool — to transform demographics and feedback into actionable insights. Learn the five essential questions every strategist must answer pre- and post-event, then practice communicating results in ways that resonate with executives and stakeholders.
Cost: Free (No-Show Fee: $75 if not canceled by Dec. 12) • Capacity: 75
Best for: Mid- to Senior-Level Strategists
Register now and add to your CL26 experience in your Participant Portal.
Become a Strategic Influencer by Sharpening Your Business Acumen
Date: Sunday, January 11 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Speaker: Anthony Vade, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-founder, Strategy Table Pathways Inc.
Move beyond logistics and claim your seat at the strategic table. This workshop blends business strategy essentials with event applications, giving you tools to analyze your organization’s environment, connect initiatives to business goals, and demonstrate measurable value. Build confidence in contributing to higher-level conversations and leave with a roadmap for elevating your influence inside the organization.
Cost: Free (No-Show Fee: $75 if not canceled by Dec. 12) • Capacity: 75
Best for: Event Leaders
Register now and add to your CL26 experience in your Participant Portal.
Make Your Event Crisis-Ready by Strengthening Your Rapid Response Skills
Date: Sunday, January 11 | 1:00pm – 3:30pm
Speaker: Tammy Moore, Vice President, Learning & Professional Development, PCMA
Be ready when disruptions strike. From small mishaps to major crises, this interactive workshop builds your ability to respond swiftly and effectively under pressure. Work through real-world simulations, practice crisis communication strategies, and leave with a personalized crisis management plan tailored to your organization’s unique risks.
Cost: Free (No-Show Fee: $75 if not canceled by Dec. 12) • Capacity: 75
Best for: Event Professionals
Register now and add to your CL26 experience in your Participant Portal.
Medical Meetings Summit
A full-day experience on Tuesday, January 13.
Medical meetings operate in a world of their own, shaped by complex regulations, scientific rigor, and high-stakes outcomes. That’s why Convening Leaders 2026 will feature a dedicated Medical Meetings Summit on Tuesday, January 13, in Philadelphia.
Co-created with leaders from the Medical Meeting Directors Roundtable—Bill Reed (American Society of Hematology), Debra Rosencrance (American Academy of Ophthalmology), Germaine Schaefer (Heart Rhythm Society), and Janet Skorepa (American Urological Association)—in partnership with PCMA’s education team, this full-day experience delivers the conversations, peer-focused learning, and practical strategies medical meeting professionals rely on. You can follow the full track or select the sessions that best fit your CL26 schedule.
The summit features four core experiences designed to meet you where you are in your career:
Start with Strategy
Building Your Leadership Career in Medical Meetings
A multigenerational panel of seasoned and next-gen professionals will open the day with Building Your Leadership Career in Medical Meetings, where lessons learned meet the challenges of staying relevant.
Choose the Topics That Matter Most
Peer-to-Peer Roundtables
These small groups offer 45 minutes of facilitated discussion on the issues that keep you up at night, from sponsorship and compliance to technology, talent, and data. You choose your table. You shape the outcomes.
Sharpen Your Edge with Business Acumen
MedTalk: Business Acumen
This session explores how to move beyond logistics and contribute strategically by linking event goals to measurable business impact.
End the Day with Open Dialogue
Medical Meetings Town Hall
The closing town hall gives the mic to you. No slides. No lectures. Just raw, real discussion on the issues that matter most, moderated by your peers.
Agenda at a Glance
Subject to change and continuously updated.
