Washington, D.C.—Beth Surmont, FASAE, CMP Fellow, CAE, Vice President of Business Event Strategy and Design at Smithbucklin company 360 Live Media, has been named the recipient of the 2024 Groundbreaker Award. The award is presented annually by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)Foundation to honor industry trailblazers who represent diverse sectors of the business events community, recognizing those who have made a significant contribution to their organizations and programs that advance inclusion and equity.

“Beth has always been a trailblazer for what the next era of events will be, especially in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Jack Macleod, President of 360 Live Media. “Prioritizing inclusion and equity in both her professional and personal life, Beth is a leader who combines audience-centered design with purposeful intention to create and execute impactful events for clients across all industries.”

Beth has on-the-ground event experience spanning more than 20 years in corporate and nonprofit events and tradeshows. She has been a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) since 2008, and a Certified Association Executive (CAE) since 2016. Surmont served as chair of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Meeting & Exposition Council from 2016-2018, and frequently speaks on event design and strategy at industry events.

“It is a great honor to be a recipient of this year’s PCMA Groundbreaker Award and be among the distinguished event professionals nominated,” said Beth. “I’m continuously inspired by the missions of the associations we serve and motivated by my passion for redesigning, reinventing, and reinvigorating events for meaningful impact.”

In addition to this year’s PCMA Groundbreaker Award, Beth was a 2023 finalist for the Event Designer of the Year Award from PCMA. In 2022, she was named a Fellow by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for making noteworthy and sustained contributions of leadership to associations and was an inductee of the Events Industry Council inaugural CMP Fellows program. Beth was also identified as one of BizBash’s 500 Most Influential People in Events in 2021. Beth is a founding board member of SocialOffset, a nonprofit that encourages local donations instead of destination boycotts.

About Smithbucklin

Smithbucklin is a leading professional services company serving non-profits and industry associations. Through full-service management, meetings, sales, and strategic marketing solutions, we unlock the power of human networks that move every industry, field and profession forward. Learn more.

About 360 Live Media 

360 Live Media, a Smithbucklin company, is an event strategy, marketing, and design agency that helps organizations maximize their impact and advance their mission. We drive tangible business results by helping organizations modernize their approach to events, membership, and revenue. Learn more.

AIM Group Media Contacts:

Gianluca Trezzi
E: g.trezzi@aimgroup.eu
T: +39 0256601351
M: +39 3408528584

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