PCMA Convening EMEA: Lisbon Sessions Focused on Integrity, Connection and Preparing for the Future

# Why this edition mattered PCMA Convening Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) 2026 opened in Lisbon at Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL). Organizers structured the program as an experiential exercise in building a better tomorrow: sessions, micro-labs and workshops were framed around three concrete priorities—integrity, connection and future. The event combined practical tools for planners with high-level scenario thinking for strategic choices.

# The venue and local context

# What speakers offered Dr. Poornima Luthra (Imperial Business School) opened conversations on integrity with practical tactics for building inclusion, trust and belonging inside organizations. Her focus was on turning inclusion into operational practice so teams can collaborate across divisions and geographies.

Futurist Anne Lise Kjaer presented scenario-based planning rather than fixed predictions. She advocated a 4P framework—people, planet, purpose and profit—as a balanced lens to test future scenarios and make choices that are resilient across multiple outcomes.

# Climate and industry action The conference co-located Convene 4 Climate, a platform aimed at accelerating the meetings industry's transition toward sustainable practice. The platform surfaced policy and operational voices, including Nobel Peace Prize awardee Kristen Averyt, and linked industry partners and destination organizations focused on technology-enabled transformation.

# Practical outcomes for meeting professionals Sessions emphasized tools and routines that planners can apply: embedding inclusion practices in event operations, designing sessions that prioritize meaningful human connection, and building scenario plans using the 4P lens. Micro-labs created space to pilot facilitation techniques and attendee engagement formats that move beyond passive networking to purposeful collaboration.

# Next steps announced

# Bottom line This PCMA edition packaged strategic foresight and concrete practice into an event format that prioritized human connection and ethical business culture. Planners leaving Lisbon had frameworks they can test—operational inclusion steps, the 4P scenario tool and new approaches to designing connection-focused programs—plus a firm date and location for next year's regional meeting.