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Fall 2013
SLAM — Sport and Leisure Association of Madison The Sport and Leisure Association of Madison (SLAM) is for JMU students of any major, interested in pursuing a career within the sport and/or recreation industry. SLAM is a professional organization that focuses on learning and growing outside of the classroom by networking with each other and professionals of the industry, attending conferences, touring facilities, and working with one another to execute fundraisers and community service activities. They meet as a general body twice a month in Godwin 344 from 7-8 p.m. SLAM also holds at least one fundraiser, one social event per month, and one community service activity per semester. A point system is in place to keep track of member involvement, where members earn points for each event they attend. In order to become a member of this organization you must pay $20.00 yearly dues, and obtain at least eight points by the end of the first semester. The dues also include a SLAM t-shirt for the 2013-14 school year. For more information email jmuslam@gmail.com, or speak directly to President, Matt Butta or Vice President, Aly Truesdale. SLAM members during a recent visit to FedEx Field
PCMA — Professional Convention Management The James Madison University Student Chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has grown to become a well-known event management organization on campus, especially within the Hospitality Management program. The chapter has grown from 10 members in 2004 to just about 100 members at the beginning of the Fall 2013 academic year. The organization is open to any and all majors, but the student body mainly consists of Hospitality, Business, Sport and Recreation Management and some Communication majors. As the membership grows, PCMA strives to market to a larger and more diverse student base. This year, as a chapter, PCMA aspires to expand our membership, provide multiple educational, social, and service opportunities to members, and establish more connections and networking opportunities within the PCMA professional community. The leadership of PCMA desires to continue the mission of becoming the leading event management organization at James Madison University. This year PCMA members are proud to welcome Theresa Lind as the new faculty advisor. They are excited to be under her guidance especially with her experience and background in event management. Students in PCMA also have a great deal of new opportunities to be excited about. These include expanded goals to now provide one service event, one social event, various workshops, one fundraiser, and one guest speaker per month, along with biweekly meetings. These workshops provide students with great educational opportunities to teach our members about the many facets that are involved within PCMA, including CVBs, hotels, associations, suppliers, meeting/ event planners, wedding planners, etc. These workshops will consist of activities such as menu planning, site selection, and vendor relationships. This coming November and January, PCMA will be sending members to the Capital Chapter of PCMA’s Annual Meeting in D.C. and to PCMA’s annual conference, “Convening Leaders,” being held in Boston, Massachusetts. They are in the process of planning their fourth annual hospitality student conference as well, which will be held in the Spring semester here at JMU. This event, planned by a committee of 10 PCMA members, provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain insight into the various aspects of the hospitality industry, meet other students, and network with many industry professionals. For more information regarding PCMA please email jamesmadisonpcma@gmail.com or “like us” on Facebook at JMU PCMA. Check out the new website at http://jamesmadisonpcma.wix.com/jmupcma.