Bestselling author to speak at the PCMA Annual Meeting

Daniel Pink

The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) announced that bestselling author Daniel Pink will speak at the closing session of the PCMA Annual Meeting, Convening Leaders, on Wednesday, January 12, 2011.

Daniel Pink has received international recognition for his books about the changing world of work, including the New York Times bestsellers, Drive and A Whole New Mind.


At Convening Leaders, Pink will share insights from his latest book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. In the book, Pink illustrates that the secret to high performance and satisfaction in today’s world is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Based on 40 years of scientific data supporting his argument, people need intrinsic rather than external motivation, Pink’s work revolutionizes the way performance and motivation are perceived.

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future charts the rise of right-brain thinking in modern economies, and describes the six abilities individuals and organizations must master in an outsourced, automated age. Together the books have been translated into 29 languages.

Pioneering works have made Pink one of the most requested speakers around the globe, delivering speeches at many of the world’s most prestigious conferences, including the TEDGlobal Conference, a gathering of the world’s leading thinkers and doers.

“Daniel Pink is always a hit with his audiences,” said Deborah Sexton, PCMA president and CEO. “He brings a fresh perspective on what motivates someone to succeed in these changing and challenging times. He presents new knowledge and techniques that are both insightful and entertaining, and based on decades of research. The information he will present at Convening Leaders is cutting-edge, and essential to helping meeting professionals at all levels of our industry work smarter and live better. I know our attendees will not want to miss his session.”

Pink’s articles on business and technology appear in many publications, including The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Wired, where he is a contributing editor. He also writes a monthly business column for the U.K. newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph, and has provided analysis of business trends on “CNN,” “CNBC,” “ABC,” “NPR,” and other networks in the U.S. and abroad. He also served in the White House from 1995 to 1997 as chief speechwriter to Vice President Al Gore, and has worked as an aide to U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich and in other positions in politics and government. He received a BA from Northwestern University and a JD from Yale Law School.

Convening Leaders is attended by more than 3000 meeting professionals each year and is considered the must attend event for the meetings industry. Convening Leaders will be held January 9-12, 2011, in Las Vegas, NV.

This year the Virtual Edge Summit will be co-located with Convening Leaders. Virtual Edge Summit, held January 12-13, 2011, offers educational sessions designed for meetings professionals including strategy, event marketing, virtual communities, and virtual-driven business models.