A thought occurred to me while I was driving to Bethesda, Maryland today (I will be doing a GIPS® verification here tomorrow). Chances are, most performance measurement professionals, even those who’ve attended one or more PMAR (Performance Measurement Attribution & Risk) conferences, may not know certain key things about our conferences. Well, why not let these secrets out? And so, I am revealing:

PMAR Secrets!

1. Did you know that PMAR is the longest continuously running performance measurement conference in the industry? In about a week, we will hold our 16th annual PMAR North America event at the Philadelphia Sheraton. And next month, we will host our ninth PMAR Europe in London!
2. Did you know that when we launched PMAR Europe nine years ago, it created such a stir that the CEO of a competing UK conference called me, and asked that we stop running it, as it was forcing performance measurement professionals to “have to decide” which conference to attend? He suggested that we support them and their conference, and in return, we’d get a complimentary booth. I mentioned that it was ironic that his company was running a similar conference in the States, and forcing folks here to have to make a choice, but he didn’t think that was an issue. Well, several years later, we’re still running ours, and it grows each year (I guess many are choosing PMAR Europe!).
3. Did you know that PMAR is the only performance measurement conference that isn’t run by a conference company, but rather by a performance measurement company? What does this mean? Well, because we are fully entrenched in the industry, we are constantly tuned into the happenings, issues, concerns, activities of others. We interact with performance measurement professionals from all corners of the industry on an almost daily basis. This exposure helps us better design, craft, fine tune our conferences, so that they best meet the needs and interests of the industry. The week after PMAR NA, for example, we won’t be running a conference on the medical profession, or for insurance companies, or one electrical engineers. We dedicate a substantial amount of time each year to craft just three major conferences: no wonder ours is considered the best!
4. Did you know we strive to make PMAR the best for everyone who participates in it? Not just our attendees, but our speakers and cosponsors, too! We go to great lengths to make the experience phenomenal for everyone. No other conference sponsor, for example, strongly encourages its attendees to visit the cosponsors, nor showcases them as we do. We even spend money to encourage them to walk around and visit every booth.
5. Did you know that PMAR is the only performance measurement conference that provides attendees with printed copies of the speakers’ slides? Others may, after the event, or provides them on a wand, but we make the investment in both time and money to put our printed conference books together, so that you’ll have them while you’re at the conference. This involves the work of several members of our team, but we believe it’s important, as they will better help you follow along, as well as to take notes. 
6. Did you know we are never satisfied, despite the very high marks we get every year? Every year, we strive to make the newest edition better than all that have come before. And, we believe that every year, somehow, we manage to pull this off.
7. Did you know that we have a dedicated staff member at the conference working with the hotel where we’re holding our event, to ensure that every aspect of the program runs like clock work? Attendees often comment on how everything about the event (the speakers, the topics, the cosponsors, the venue, the food), every little detail, is first class, top notch, exceptional. That is our aim, every year, every time.
8. Did you know that we very much value the feedback we get from each year’s programs? Comments regarding that year’s speakers and topics, as well as suggestions for topics and future conferences, are very valuable to us. This is one reason we not just encourage attendees to fill our critique forms out, we reward them for doing it!
9. Did you know that our company president, Patrick Fowler, and I meet shortly after each year’s conferences to begin work on the next year’s events? We review the feedback from the critique forms, as well as other information we gain, to begin the process. And this process then lasts for several months, as we further review and refine these ideas. 
10. Did you know that PMAR is the only performance measurement conference that provides all attendees with a complimentary copy of the audio recording of the conference? Some conferences will sell you the recording for an additional fee: we gift it to you! And why do we do this? Well, you can re-listen to all or parts of the conference, to perhaps not just relive the event, but also to catch things that perhaps you didn’t quite get the first time. Also, by listening again, this will help you remember things you meant to recall. Plus, you can share the recording with your colleagues, so they, too, can benefit from what is presented.
11. Did you know that PMAR is the only performance measurement conference that transcribes each presentation, and bundles them, along with photos taken during the event, into beautiful, commemorative conference proceedings? And, did you further know that we gift these to our attendees, too? No additional charge, despite the many, many hours that go into putting them together. No additional charge, despite the cost to get them printed. Why do we do this? Because we believe that since PMAR is the best conference, with the best speakers, and the best topics, the talks should be preserved for future reference. And, the books are available for attendees to not only review themselves, to have the chance to go back over things they heard at the event, to perhaps spark new ideas and to gain new insights, but also to share with their colleagues. So many attendees have told us that the transcripts are valuable takeaways from PMAR and that they have made permanent parts of their libraries. 
12. Did you know that PMAR is the only performance measurement conference that offers a free, money-back guarantee? Why do we do this? Well, because we understand that attending or sending people to a conference is an investment. And, as with all investments, you’re taking a bit of a risk. Well, we have so much confidence that you will be “blown away” by PMAR, that we want to take that risk. If you attend and decide that we have not lived up to our promises, then we don’t think it’s fair or right to keep your money. And so, we will refund it, 100 percent. To date, no one has ever asked for a refund. 

Every year, PMAR is dedicated to you, the performance measurement professional

As an almost 28-year old firm, we have consistently shown that we are highly committed and dedicated to the performance and risk measurement profession. We are dedicated to always providing the best in the way of products and services. We are dedicated to ensuring that our clients are always pleased with what we offer. We are dedicated to bringing our conference attendees with the best in the way of an educational experience. We are dedicated to always striving to improve everything we do, everything we offer, everything we provide.

PMAR may not be the performance conference you’ve been to, but PMAR is the conference you should go to. Just ask the many performance measurement professionals who’ve attended. Or, better yet, give it a try yourself! We guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.

You only have a few more days to register for PMAR North America. So, if you haven’t done so already, please register while there are still seats available! You owe it to yourself, your career, and your firm to see why PMAR is #1.