CHICAGO, IL, Nov. 12, 2008 -- The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Education Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of three student scholarships: The Chairman's Scholarship, The Annual Meeting Scholarship, and the PCMA Student Chapter of the Year Award.

"Part of the mission of the Foundation is to grow and develop the meetings industry and its professionals. By reaching out and supporting student members through these scholarships, we truly are making a lasting impact on the industry. And we couldn't be more pleased with this year's extremely deserving recipients," said Christie Hicks, 2008 PCMA Education Foundation Chair.

The Chairman's Scholarship is awarded to two superior students. This year's recipients are Ashley Akright of Penn State University and Berkeley Burgess of George Washington University. Akright has been a dedicated member of the Penn State University PCMA Student Chapter and is currently serving as the chapter's vice president. The scholarship recognizes exceptional student members of PCMA and provides them with an opportunity to meet with the PCMA Chairman of the Board. The student recipients are also awarded complimentary airfare, hotel accommodations for four nights, and registration to the 53rd PCMA Annual Meeting, Jan. 11 - 14, 2009, in New Orleans, LA.

The Annual Meeting Scholarship, sponsored by the PCMA Education Foundation, is awarded to three outstanding students. This year's winners are: Melinda King of Ferris State University, Celine Andre of the University of Central Florida Rosen School of Hospitality Management, and Brittany Belko of Kent State University. Belko is also the treasurer of the Kent State University Student Chapter of PCMA. Winners receive complimentary airfare, hotel accommodations for four nights, and registration to the 53rd PCMA Annual Meeting, Jan. 11 - 14, 2009, in New Orleans, LA.

Lastly, the PCMA Student Chapter of the Year Award was awarded to four exceptional student chapters in 2008. Winners receive $500 from the PCMA Education Foundation to fund chapter projects, events, and activities. This year's recipients are: British Columbia Institute of Technology in British Columbia, Canada; College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL; Kent State University in Kent, OH; and Metropolitan State College of Denver in Denver, CO.

At the 2009 PCMA Annual Meeting, students can participate in the PCMA Student Union, a robust program designed especially for meetings industry students which also features a Career Fair. More information on the PCMA Student Union can be found on the PCMA Annual Meeting Web site at www.pcma2009.org

PCMA has seen increased interest and participation in student membership in 2008, even internationally. PCMA faculty member Joe Goldblatt, CSEP, who serves as director of the recently launched International Centre for the Study of Planned Events at Queen Margaret University, in Edinburgh, Scotland, recently launched the first PCMA Student Chapter in Europe at Queen Margaret University.

The PCMA Education Foundation funds 17 scholarships throughout the year to student members. These scholarships help open doors to the industry and ease the financial burden that higher education can create. For more information and to apply for Foundation scholarships, please go to the student membership section of the PCMA Web site: www.pcma.org/students

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The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) is the professional resource and premier educator for the meetings and convention industry. Founded in 1957, PCMA represents the interests of meeting management executives from associations, non-profit organizations, corporations, independent meeting planning companies, and multi-management firms who recognize the importance of meetings to their organization. PCMA empowers members with the tools they need to succeed as meeting professionals and to promote the value of the industry to their organizations and the general public. Headquartered in Chicago, PCMA has 16 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. For additional information, please visit the PCMA Web site at www.pcma.org.

The role of the PCMA Education Foundation is to support the mission of the PCMA through fundraising and grant giving focused on education and research that will benefit the meetings and conventions industry. Established in 1985, the Foundation supports educational programs to improve professionalism in the meetings industry and to provide a university-level meeting management curriculum. The Foundation provides educational programs for meeting managers, hotels, convention and visitors bureaus, and other members of the meetings industry. It also conducts ongoing research of industry issues and concerns. The Foundation continually designs and creates new programs to encourage the highest levels of professionalism in the meetings industry.