PCMA edUcon 2025 brought 842 industry professionals to Louisville, preserving its much-discussed 50/50 split between planners and partners. While “innovation” was the headline theme, the execution offered a mix of the familiar and the experimental—showcasing both progress and a few growing pains for the meetings industry.
A Layout That Broke the Mold…Mostly
This year, edUcon stood out by spreading its programming across two adjacent hotels—Louisville Marriott Downtown and Omni Louisville—and including off-site sessions at local landmarks. This distributed approach increased the need for planning (and comfortable shoes), but it paid off by giving attendees more chances to explore the city and break out of traditional conference routines. Notably, the Heka Health Wellness Challenge encouraged participants to walk between venues, offering a practical wellness angle and a fresh perspective on how event design can support movement, even if not every attendee opted in.
A good example: The “Major League Mindset” session with Dr. Tiffany R. Jones, PhD, CMPC, took place at the Louisville Slugger Museum, and attendees could choose to walk or take provided shuttles. Following the session, the peer debrief and tour format was a welcome change—allowing for more organic networking in a less formal environment.
Sponsor Activations: More Engaged, More Integrated
Rather than isolating sponsors to a trade show floor, edUcon positioned activations throughout both properties.
Highlights included an Aura Video screening, specialty coffee from Puerto Rico, and a Books & Bourbon library—a clever nod to local culture. Most activations genuinely invited participation, helping partners feel more integrated into the attendee experience.
Read More: It’s All About Engagement!
Food & Beverage: Small Steps Forward
edUcon’s catering program reflected incremental progress. Day 1 featured a well-stocked break with adequate protein bars and a nicely presented “fruitcuterie” board—fresh fruit displayed with more intention than the typical continental spread. Traditional regional fare and classic comfort food continued to anchor the main receptions.
There was also a visible effort to offer non-alcoholic beverage choices, including NA spritzes at the Angel’s Envy leadership reception and Churchill Downs offering alcohol-free Mint Juleps and Oaks Lilys. Still, classic cocktails remained front and center.
Tech & Innovation: Updates and New Offerings
During the opening keynote, Junior Tauvaa took the stage to announce Spark 2.0 with deeper learning, updated LLM and the ability to upload PDFs, like menus. In addition, he announced that PCMA and Gevme have enhanced their AI-powered Spark platform by integrating Tempest, allowing event planners to discover and connect with destinations and venues more efficiently, while also giving DMOs and venues greater access to over 9,000 professionals on the platform. It is called “Destination” and is included in the Spark Pro account.
Programming & Engagement
Day 1
Launched with a community give-back initiative supporting local racetrack workers—demonstrating how social impact can be woven into industry events. The opening night at Churchill Downs was as much about local flavor and Derby pageantry as it was about networking.
Read More: CSR Practices: Meetings with Meaning
Day 2
Main Stage opened with Carrie Freeman Parsons, focusing on evolving brand experiences. Wellness circuits and “edUcon Circuits” provided space for hands-on learning and quick recharge opportunities, though adoption varied. Offsite networking included trips to Maddox & Rose and Gatsby Tours, bringing a more experiential element to peer connection. The PCMA Foundation’s Give Back Bash celebrated 40 years with Southern food and lively music.
Day 3
Denim Richards’ “Unscripted Influence” keynote and Imani Ellis’ session on community-building were well attended. Off-site learning at Muhammad Ali Center and Slugger Museum continued, keeping the event energy from stagnating. The edUcon Music Festival at Fourth Street Live wrapped up the day with a relaxed, festive atmosphere.
Read More: Louisville: A City, Toured
Day 4
The event closed with a simple, effective farewell—grab-and-go breakfast, snacks, and locally sourced Puerto Rican coffee for the trip home. Attendees were encouraged to give feedback for future improvement.
Objectively Speaking: Progress, but Not Perfection
- The split venue format fostered movement and exploration, but also presented logistical hurdles and occasional confusion for those not using the event app.
- F&B offerings made some strides with presentation and a few healthier choices, but plant-based and inclusive menus remain a growth area for future editions.
Key Takeaways
- Distributing sessions across multiple venues and incorporating offsite locations can refresh attendee engagement—but requires strong communication and support.
- Sponsor integration works best when activations are interactive and contextually relevant. Sponsor activations were creative and more experiential, but a few felt more like marketing than true engagement.
- Wellness and sustainability are moving in the right direction, but more can be done to make these values core to the event rather than add-ons. While steps were taken, there’s room for events like edUcon to further integrate these elements so they feel less like “features” and more like foundations.
Final Thoughts
edUcon 2025 proved that incremental innovation matters. The industry is moving—sometimes quickly, sometimes in fits and starts—toward more engaging, holistic, and purposeful events. While the journey isn’t over, Louisville was a welcome testbed for what’s possible when we’re willing to try something new.
