PCMA – Caesars’ Style

January 28, 2021

An ordinarily in-person gathering, this year’s Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)’s annual Convening Leaders conference was replaced with a full digital event, with six ancillary gatherings linked to the live broadcast.

One such gathering, held at CAESARS FORUM in Las Vegas, treated a group of approximately 50 planners to watch a livestream of many of the PCMA keynotes, as well as enjoy themselves Caesars Entertainment style. Many brought guests, boosting the total number in the group to 76.

Health and safety was top of mind with security ambassadors stationed at the entrances to all venues to administer temperature checks, ensure socially-distanced seating for the livestream, and adherence to limited capacities on buses.

Given the fact that the Las Vegas mandate at the time of the event was for groups of no more than 50, Caesars split the group into two for dinner functions.

Half the group enjoyed dinner in the Versailles Ballroom at Paris Las Vegas, followed by an intimate concert by America’s Got Talent singer, Daniel Emmet, who performed in Le Theatre Des Arts. There was plenty of room for social distancing as the group of 35 enjoyed the concert in a theater with a seating capacity for 1,200, while simultaneously, the other half of the group devoured southern Italian fare at Rao’s Las Vegas housed in Caesars Palace.

A conference highlight was a tour of Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders that showcased its unique event capabilities in the Credit One Club and Twitch Lounge. The private events team at Allegiant worked closely with Caesars Entertainment to make this a night to remember.

“Collaborating with the team at Caesars Entertainment to create an immersive experience for their guests was incredibly rewarding,” says Samantha Johnson, director of sales, Allegiant Stadium. “The relationship we have built with their team will be beneficial to event planners that are interested in creating a very dynamic Vegas experience.”

Pulling off an event of this caliber was a group effort. “We thoroughly enjoyed working with the private events team at Allegiant Stadium. The planner feedback has been tremendous,” says Reina Herschdorfer, director of marketing, national meetings and events at Caesars Entertainment. “The food and beverage was top notch and flavorful with creative presentations that enhanced the entire program.”

All those tuning in to Convening Leaders got a little taste of Vegas as Caesars broadcast an address by Lisa Messina, vice president of sales, Caesars Entertainment, who announced that next year’s PCMA Convening Leaders will be held at CAESARS FORUM, followed by a performance by Tenors of Rock, a band of musical brothers who put their own spin on a selection of the classics.

According to Herschdorfer, the feedback Caesars is receiving about the program has been extremely positive. One comment, from Stephanie Gutierrez, director, global accounts, HelmsBriscoe: “CAESARS FORUM was outstanding in every aspect of our stay for Convening Leaders 21. We felt very safe with precautions in place and signage everywhere to remind people of what was expected of them.”

This $375 million, 550,000-square-foot conference center located on the Las Vegas Strip, features the world’s two largest pillarless ballrooms, each measuring more than 110,000 square feet.

“It was so exciting to have PCMA as the first event conference of the year at CAESARS FORUM. Everyone was so thrilled to be finally meeting in person. After a year of virtual meetings, many are craving face-to-face connection,” says Patrick Espinoza, director of sales for Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas.