Interview cycle. Brownlee believes the industry needs to stop talking about“ AI” as a concept and start talking about specific tools and outcomes. Crucially, he warns, the narrative must be shaped by the sector itself.
“ If we don’ t control the narrative,” he says,“ others will dictate it, the same way we were told during the pandemic that no one would ever travel or meet face to face again. It’ s nonsense.”
Through a partnership with data technology expert dFakto, PCMA previewed its new AI-powered destination research platform at edUcon in June before launching it at IMEX America in October.
The‘ Destinaitor’ platform allows events strategists to compare multiple destinations based on objectives and verified data. It also includes an RFP feature that can analyse a business event strategist’ s request for proposal and suggest matching destinations.
“ It’ s about refreshing what we do and giving people the tools to make a genuine difference,” says Brownlee.
A year on the global stage and what’ s next Brownlee’ s year as PCMA chair has taken him around the world, from Singapore for Convening APAC to Colombia for the inaugural Convening LATAM.
He describes the experiences as both humbling and energising.“ I like to think of myself as a reasonably educated traveller,” he laughs,“ but I needed to go to Asia Pacific to be reminded of the diversity of cultures we engage with, as in a huge chunk of the delegates in Singapore were from Australia and New Zealand. Maybe it was jetlag as I had come straight from DC via London, but we Brits and Europeans need to get out more.”
However, there was a deeper purpose as well: to show PCMA’ s overwhelmingly North American membership that a non-North
American chair is not an experiment.
Neil points to the succession plan: after Kelly Ricker, chief operating officer at the Global Technology Industry Association, comes Robin Preston, managing director, events at the American Institute of Architects- marking two female incoming chairs and strong continuity in global leadership. They will be followed by Panos Tzivanidis, corporate events and services director at the International Olympic Committee, who is slated to be the first Greek chair of PCMA in 2028, the year of the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.“ That’ s a huge statement of intent,” Brownlee says.
In 2026, as the immediate past chair, Brownlee will chair PCMA’ s Visionary Awards committee and, more significantly, lead the nominating committee responsible for selecting future board members.
“ It’ s a demanding role,” he admits. With 57 applications for seven board positions this year,“ it shows PCMA’ s health, but it’ s also a lot of responsibility.”
Despite the workload, he speaks warmly about the personal development the role has brought him.“ I’ ve become more serious,” he says with a smile.“ But in a good way.”
Brownlee will also have more time to spend back in Scotland with a VisitScotland Business Events team that has kept the engine running while he’ s been away. Scotland, he says, is performing well as the post-pandemic stabilisation period finally gives way to pure competition for new business.
VisitScotland’ s advocacy work will also ramp up in 2026, a trend Neil believes can be simplified.“ It’ s not complicated,” he says.“ Ask the Government for its problems and bring the world’ s experts to Scotland to solve them. When politicians understand it, they think it’ s brilliant. They just get easily distracted.”
As our conversation winds down, Brownlee reflects on what it meant to represent Scotland and the UK at the top table.
“ It has been a huge honour,” he concludes.“ And I hope I’ ve blazed a trail for others.” n
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