With the addition of regional experts, Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) Digital Event Strategist (DES) course can now cater specifically for APAC business events and marketing professionals planning a hybrid or digital meeting.
The five regional experts appointed by PCMA include Deanna Varga, managing director and founder of Mayvin Global; Darren Chuckry, founder and managing partner, HK Initiative; Justin Choy, managing director of Hong Kong at Creative Technology; Jayson Chau, senior manager of digital at Sinclair Comms; and Deborah Caldwell, Asia Pacific head of event marketing, Bank of America.
These APAC experts provide “expert hours” which include opportunities for mentoring, discussion and conversation on business events challenges from a local perspective.
DES is a six-week course of self-paced materials, with weekly expert hours. It will cover six modules from business planning and technology to marketing and measurement. Upon successfully completing the DES course, participants will remain certified for two years.
In the last 12 months, some 2,000 individuals have completed the course globally, and PCMA managing director APAC Karen Bolinger and her team have been working hard to tailor the DES program for the Asia Pacific region.
“The APAC Experts are a vital addition to the already popular course. In APAC we have unique challenges and are working through our post-COVID plans at different speeds to the rest of the world.”
Moreover, Bolinger added that “hybrid and digital events aren’t going anywhere”.
Varga said she is looking forward to helping shape the business events industry as a DES APAC Expert.
“I’ll be the DES Expert for ‘Business Planning and Monetisation’ and will help participants implement sustainable commercial strategies to drive revenue, profit and visitor engagement. I believe these skills are more important than ever before as we navigate the post-COVID environment.”
