Convene Live: How Event Models Can Transform Traditional Business Models

Megan is an award-winning event design strategist with a varied and diverse background in the performing arts and the delivery of large-scale conferences. With a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from TCU, Megan blends art and science in all her work. With nearly two decades in the event industry, Megan has taken a leading role in pushing the boundaries for crafting impactful face-to-face and digital experiences for organizations and their participants. In her current role as Director, Meetings & Conferences with Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Megan has developed new methods of delivering deep human-to-human engagement, leading to her being honored as one of Smart Meetings Magazine’s Planners of the Year for 2019, PCMA Visionary Awards 2020 Event Designer of the Year finalist, PCMA Best in Class Speaker 2020-202 and named to Smart Meetings Magazine’s Standing Hall of Fame in 2021. Megan also sits on the Rocky Mountain PCMA Board of Directors as 2022 Immediate Past President and serves on the Meetings Industry Council and Visit Denver Customer Advisory Boards. Megan is a passionate musician, art advocate, mountain lover, and mom.

Meagan Prescott, CMP DES is Head of Operations – ALTS & North American Investor Forums at Markets Group. She leads a team managing event operations for 50+ of Markets Group’s global events portfolio. Prior to joining Markets Group, Meagan held events positions at AlphaMetrix Events, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), and the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA) where she oversaw committee management, meeting logistics and content production for several annual conferences, ranging in size and scope up to 4,000 attendees with in person, hybrid, and virtual models. She is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and has her Digital Event Specialist (DES) certification. 

Meagan is President Elect for the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) New England chapter and is an active volunteer and advocate for the meetings industry. She was named PCMA Twenty in their Twenties, Class of 2020, served on the Meetings Mean Business advisory board and has been featured in Meetings & Conventions Magazine as a Top 15 Go Getter in the industry. She graduated Cum Laude from Temple University where she majored in Public Relations and Business. 

Bill Reed is Chief Event Strategy Officer for the American Society of Hematology, the world’s largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatments of blood disorders. In this role, Bill oversees the Society’s global meetings strategy, portfolio of events, and operations of ASH’s conference center. ASH’s annual meeting and exhibition is attended by over 30,000professionals from 110+ countries, and 300exhibiting companies. The ASH annual meeting is one of the largest and fastest growing medical/healthcare events in the world, and is an event known for successfully delivering innovations to its audience while honoring traditions simultaneously.

Prior to joining ASH, Bill was Senior Vice President for Experient, one of the industry’s leading meeting management companieswhich managed3,000 events per yearfor associations, corporations and government agenciesduring his tenure.Bill’s various roles with the company from 2005-2013 included leadership for teams that performedaccount management, meeting and event planning, hotel sourcing,and sales functions.

Prior to Experient, Bill held sales and convention services leadership roles with outstanding service and leadership-oriented companieslike Walt DisneyParks & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, and WestinHotels &Resorts.

Bill is a Past Chair for the Professional Convention Management Association, having served as its Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2016, and servedthe organization as a Trustee for the PCMA Education Foundation boardfor multiple years.Bill’s leadership with PCMA’s boardshas spanned a decadefrom 2010-2020.Bill also was President of the PCMA’s Capital Chapter in 2008.Bill previously served a three-year term on the American Society of Association Executives’ Board of Directors, and has been recognized as an ASAE Fellow, which is an honorary recognition bestowed upon less than1% of the ASAE membership.He is an enthusiastic industry speaker and has received numerous industry awards, including the Foundation for International Meetings’ “Industry Executive of the Year”and TradeShow Executive’s “Rock Star Award.”

Bill is a native of Newport, RI and a graduate of Florida International University in Miami with a B.S. degree in Hotel Administration. He lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Michelle Russell has been the editor in chief of PCMA Convene since 2003, where she continues to lead a team of talented editors and writers to produce award-winning content across various platforms, with the goal of sharing knowledge with — and inspiring — the global business events professional community.