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This episode has been kindly sponsored by Louisville Tourism. Learn more at GoToLouisville.com/meeting-planners/.
In this episode of Convene Talk, we unpack what’s ahead at PCMA’s edUcon 2025 — from deeper learning tracks to inclusive programming and immersive local experiences. Held in Louisville, aka Bourbon City, this year’s event focuses on three themes — Blend, Innovate, and Craft — with sessions designed to be more practical, relevant, and interactive. We spotlight keynotes like Imani Ellis and Denim Richards, explore the new AI-focused Spark sessions, and discuss how first-timer filters and experiential formats make this edUcon especially participant-focused.
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· Michelle Russell, Editor in Chief
· Barbara Palmer, Deputy Editor
· Jennifer N. Dienst, Senior Editor
· Kate Mulcrone, Managing Digital Editor
· Magdalina Atanassova, Digital Media Editor
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Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra
Creators and Guests
What is PCMA Convene Podcast?
Since 1986, Convene has been delivering award-winning content that helps event professionals plan and execute innovative and successful events. Join the Convene editors as we dive into the latest topics of interest to — and some flying under the radar of — the business events community.
Convene Talk, ep. 64/May 23, 2025
*Note: the transcript is AI generated, excuse typos and inaccuracies
Magdalina Atanassova: This episode is brought to you by Louisville Tourism.
This is the Convene Podcast.
Welcome to another episode of the Convene Talk.
Today we'll be talking a lot about edUcon and we'll be taking a look at the program.
So this year the theme is a neat blend of innovation, education and connection and the need and the blending and all that comes from the destination as it's hosted in Bourbon City.
Which was fun for me by the way, to learn that Louisville is Bourbon City. I did not know that as a person not living in the US So a fun little fact for those like me.
So this year there are three pillars or learning tracks for the program.
So there's the blend, which is,
you know, sessions with a focus on integrating diverse elements to create cohesive event experiences.
Innovate, which will offer cutting edge tools and strategies to stay ahead in the evolving events industry and Craft, which is centering on the art of designing favorable events.
So at the time of this recording, we just went to print with our June issue where we shared an interview with Tracey Depew,
who's PCMA's chief marketing officer.
She shared what's in store for participants attending the event.
She mentioned that as attendees said that they desired more deeper dive sessions and more content focused on event trends. That's what the event program will focus on this year. Delivering those through a longer form, high quality sessions that dive deeper into the latest event trends, strategies and emerging technologies.
Which sounds really interesting actually. edUcon has always been the event where PCMA and the community come out to play. I feel it's always been innovative.
Each year it's a little bit different.
So it's always interesting to go and see what's new, what's the experiment this year.
So let's dig into what has caught everyone's attention.
Anyone that wants to start,
I'll jump in.
Jennifer N. Dienst: I think it's really cool. That's in Louisville,
which even though I don't live in Kentucky, I feel like is my neck of the woods.
So I'm always happy when I see our southern cities represent.
I've actually never been to Louisville, so I'm a little bit jealous of everyone going.
I've always wanted to go there.
I've. I just know. I feel like I know a lot about it just because it's relatively close to me. Like I could drive there in a day if I wanted to.
But also because we've worked with Louisville CPB so much and I think they do just an excellent job of creatively selling their destination,
I think people will have a lot of Fun. I mean, there's the bourbon, there's the live music. You've got sports, obviously. You've got the Slugger Museum and the Kentucky Derby, of course.
And it sounds like a lot of those things are going to be integrated into the experiences edUcon, which I think is really cool.
There's more about that in our issue,
in our edUcon preview.
That's what I really loved about the edUcon experience that I had at Montreal. And I felt like I got a really good feel for the city and what it was about there.
So, yeah, I'm jealous of everyone going,
I think everyone will have a ball in Louisville.
Barbara, what are you excited about to see here?
What's on your mind about edUcon?
Barbara Palmer: Well, I wanted to just chime in on the cheers for Louisville.
I have two nieces that live there,
and so I've been there a lot. And what really surprised me when I first went there is how much art there is there. There's just a lot of things that you wouldn't expect in that city.
Jennifer N. Dienst: That's right. Like you have a hotel.
Barbara Palmer: Yes.
And, you know, I went there about 10 years ago and there was a little store,
a little storefront. It's got this beautiful brick architecture that's, you know,
vintage brick streets and this little storefront that was filled with nothing but cider,
like, you know, the alcoholic cider,
just shelves of it. And that was just at the beginning of kind of the cider moment.
And I think that's kind of like Louisville, surprising that way. I think it's like those cities that are large enough to have concentration of artists and all kinds of people, but they're not so close to another big city that it gets diluted.
So it's just. It's a real contained little city with its own culture.
And here's who I would just make absolutely sure to see if I were there is Imani Ellis, who I spoke with a couple weeks ago.
She is the founder of CultureCon and also a a community called the Creative Collective NYC.
She's a Black woman who's in the creative field and she just saw a need for a space for black creatives, so she started one.
And then she started CultureCon,
which is a conference for black creatives. And it grew from 150 people to thousands. I just thought she was remarkable. I love talking to her.
The thing that stuck out to me is she said that talent is equally distributed,
but there's not. Equal access to opportunity was kind of the founding, you know, kind of what Spurred her on and I mean, so true, so true. So anyway, she's very warm and has lots to say and I would just go see her.
Jennifer N. Dienst: Is she one of the speakers there?
Barbara Palmer: You know,
she is a speaker.
She's going to be in conversation with someone,
which is one of my favorite formats.
Yeah. So I could have talked to her all day.
Magdalina Atanassova: You know what made an impression. So I was browsing through the program and I was specifically looking for DEI related topics and I was so happy to see those in the program,
you know, not hidden,
not with,
you know, mushy names,
but they were very straightforward and I was so happy to see that. I think the industry needs that right now a lot.
And that just reminds me of the other keynote that we have,
Denim Richards that those who are fans of Yellowstone would recognize.
It's a topic that's very close to my heart on personal branding.
So I'd be curious how he would speak about that, having in mind that he's a popular person,
he's an actor, but he also is an entrepreneur and he has some other activities that he does and he has a few master classes. So it's not going to be one of those inspirational talks about the topic where people would be like,
yeah, so how do I do that in my job or in my,
you know,
day to day life? But there will be practical examples that he would share,
which I think is very good. And what, exactly what Tracy promised everyone, that it would be a more practical event and not something that will be flying high.
Barbara Palmer: You know, speaking of practical,
another thing that caught my eye is the, is the Spark sessions. And Spark is the, the AI platform that is built for event profs.
And the session in particular that I thought was interesting was a.
I wish I remembered the name exactly, but I think of it as train the trainers.
Anyone can come,
everyone's invited.
The audience. They're hoping that will come are people who consider themselves to be expert at using AI as a thought partner to do certain things in operational things. Just anyone who really has dug into Spark and would like to share it with people.
A peer to peer learning is always better than I think any other kind of learning. So they're hoping that they can continue to build that network. But what I think is so great about this session is even if you weren't that person,
you would go to that and you would hear people who are engaged in it and they can, you know, that you could hear people learning from each other.
What I go to conferences for is to find people who are ahead of me and listen to them talk to each other, and then I learn from that.
So I think that session, if you're at all interested in using AI and using Spark,
that would be something that I would definitely put on my agenda.
Magdalina Atanassova: And speaking about agendas, I don't know if you've noticed that, but when you look at the program,
there is a new filter on the side with sample agendas that fit different career levels. And there is one for first timers,
and I've never seen that done today. So I was so surprised to see. It's so cool that instead of being overwhelmed by all the concurrent sessions, you can just click a filter and see what maybe appropriate for your work level, which I think is very cool.
Barbara Palmer: You know, for all the times that I've been to Louisville, I've never been to the Kentucky Derby.
And so I think that's pretty exciting that reception's there at Churchill Downs.
And also the other big draw that everyone knows that Louisville's.
Maybe not everyone, but I know that the Louisville Slugger baseball bat is manufactured there. So I think those two icons of Louisville and I am absolutely certain that people will find their way to Bourbon.
Magdalina Atanassova: I like that.
Barbara Palmer: Oh, absolutely.
Magdalina Atanassova: It's also very cool thing for people outside the US that are joining the meeting because as I said, I did not know it's called or had the nickname of Bourbon City and all these things you mentioned some very movie like to people like me.
So I'm excited for everyone outside the US joining and being able to, you know, get this little bit of authenticity from Louisville.
Barbara Palmer: And there's a river,
there's a waterfront, and then there's this wonderful old steamship that's permanently parked,
the paddle wheel.
And so that's kind of,
you know, that's a very iconic kind of this paddle wheel down the river.
Magdalina Atanassova: Oh, yeah,
that's cool. So good things coming up at edUcon.
Again, it's a playground. It's going to be different.
Some things will work, some things might not work that well, but that's why we experiment and that's where we can all learn together so that everyone can do better at the end of the day.
So thank you all for sharing a few little insights and nuggets on what's cool at edUcon.
Remember to subscribe to the Convene Podcast on your favorite listening platform to stay updated with our latest episodes. For further industry insights from the Convene team, head over to PCMA.org/convene. My name is Maggie. Stay inspired. Keep inspiring. And until next time.