PCMA Retains Karen Bolinger as Managing Director, Asia Pacific

Building on the anticipated recovery of the business events industry in the Asia Pacific region, Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) president and CEO Sherrif Karamat announced that PCMA has retained global business events industry leader Karen Bolinger as managing director, Asia Pacific.

“As stakeholders in the global business events industry look towards a post-COVID-19 recovery, we believe that the Asia Pacific region will recover first and that the industry will be substantially changed,” said Karamat in a statement. “Karen will support PCMA’s APAC growth through her track record of business event industry leadership success and ability to introduce new strategic initiatives in the face of industry and marketplace challenges.”

As a former CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau and chair of the BestCities Global Alliance, Bolinger has made significant business event contributions to the visitor economies of Australia and other leading international destinations; this includes the ability to successfully bring industry, government policy makers, business partners and service organizations together to focus on new opportunities.

Bolinger will be based in Melbourne, Australia and will lead PCMA’s Asia Pacific operations team through its office in Singapore. Her focus will be on new initiatives to extend and strengthen PCMA’s presence in the region, which includes region-specific events, thought leadership, curated content and education, as well as enhanced stakeholder engagement and identifying new business partners.

Bolinger began her role on April 27, 2020.

Related Stories

Stats: 87 Percent of Business Event Professionals Have Cancelled Events

GBTA: Nearly All Business Travel Is Cancelled or Suspended

The First Signs of Optimism Emerge In Latest GBTA Study

Scott A. Solombrino Appointed Chief Executive Officer of GBTA