
PMT Events, the meeting and event planning arm of PMT Publishing, is branching out from primarily overseeing productions related to PMT magazines to managing and marketing other organizationsā meetings and events.
The event division has a history of success with a variety of special productions related to its Business Alabama, Southern Automotive Alliance, Birmingham Home & Garden and Mobile Bay magazines.
āWe naturally grew out of PMT Publishingās efforts to best serve its various audiences over the years,ā says Sheila Wardy, media and events director for PMT Events.
Wardy first joined PMTās advertising department in 2001, following an exciting 12-year stint in radio promotions and marketing. āWe did the craziest things to get attention, and the most outrageous stunts really worked. People loved them,ā Wardy says. āThe experience taught me to think outside of the box. Often thatās where the best solution to a big challenge lies.ā
After a short stint in ad sales for another firm, she came back to PMT to develop its event planning service. Since 2017, PMT Events has planned and staged the annual meetings of the Southern Automotive Manufacturers Alliance (SAMA), the statewide auto industry groups from six Southern states. The first three Southern Automotive Conferences were in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia.
Wardyās team is currently putting together the 2020 Southern Automotive Conference, to be held October 7-9 at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi, and has put a bid in for the 2021 conference in Birmingham. āWe have no problem shifting gears to work with whatever location an event host desires,ā Wardy says.
Ron Davis, president of the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association and incoming 2020 president of SAMA, says his groupās collaboration with PMT has been extremely beneficial. āWe appreciate the professionalism of PMT and the continuity our work with them has created. Weāve been able to take advantage of lessons learned each year to make the conference better and better,ā he says.
The Southern Automotive Conference has grown over the years to include more than 200 exhibitors and 1,200 attendees from the region and across the globe. Sponsors appreciate a variety of innovative opportunities to interact with exhibitors and attendees, Wardy says. āWe try to do more every year, including creating the opportunity for students, the automotive leaders and workers of tomorrow, to get involved.ā
PMT Publishing covers regional automotive news, including that of SAMA and its six associations, as well as manufacturers and suppliers, through its Southern Automotive Alliance magazine. āOur various publications give us many opportunities for marketing and education in association with the meetings and events we plan,ā Wardy says.
Another part of PMTās success with events, Wardy says, comes from its dedication to finding the best professional services providers and working with them on an ongoing basis. āYou donāt want to be limited by providers that are just āso, so,ā because that can cause your event to be lackluster and less well received,ā she says.
Wardy gives the example of her groupās association with Atlanta Pro AV, a highly regarded regional audio-visual company with a specialty in major event production. āWe have grown to have ever greater respect and trust for their organization. They make us look good,ā Wardy says. āThey are the kind of service provider we seek out.ā
PMT Events also manages the publishing companyās popular āBest Companies to Work for In Alabamaā competition, in association with its Business Alabama publication, and the āManufacturers Safety Awards,ā in conjunction with both that publication and the Business Council of Alabama. āWe have the ability and mission to get the word out and educate our audience about the best of the best in business,ā Wardy says.
PMTās lifestyle-publication related āInspiration Homeā events are also organized by Wardyās team. The four-week luxury home show, associated with both Birmingham Home & Garden and Mobile Bay magazines, draws top vendors and designers, Wardy says, and is a coveted sponsorship opportunity. āItās a wonderful time for building and design professionals and suppliers to show off their talents, as well as for visitors to see the latest and greatest in new technology, design and materials in desirable community settings.ā
The most recent āInspiration Home,ā located in Van Antwerp Park in Fairhope, was on display this past December 12 through January 5. The architect/developer for the project was Walcott Adams Verneuille of Fairhope and the builder Tom Bierster Fine Home Building & Renovation Inc.
The event has caught the eye of a number of other magazine publishers. āThe Inspiration Homes have become so well received and popular that other publications across the country are licensing the Inspiration Home concept so they can offer value to their audiences as well,ā Wardy says. āPublishers today see the importance of diversifying their offerings to keep their business growing and healthy.ā
Now that PMT Events has garnered significant experience organizing its publishing companyās events and SAMAās annual conferences, Wardy says itās time to extend the divisionās reach and leverage its business opportunities. āPMT has a broad base of resources and skills. We want to offer other organizations the opportunity to use our wide-ranging event planning and marketing talents,ā she says.
Kathy Hagood is a freelance contributor to Business Alabama. She is based in Homewood.