Last year, we unveiled our inspiring new tagline
LEARN. CONNECT. GROW.
and positioning statement
PMCA is an international association that enhances the companies and careers of confectionery and snack professionals through inspired learning and the building of long-term personal connections, which empowers our members to create products that bring people joy.
Members, volunteers and staff have taken the essence of this mission to heart and are running with it. We’ve accomplished so much already in the past year.
A YEAR-ROUND COMMUNITY
PMCA is evolving quickly into a vital, vibrant year-round community of professional confectioners. Association leadership and operating committees are constantly collaborating to jointly determine the strategic direction and evolution of PMCA. All areas of leadership participate in this long-range plan, assuring a collective and shared vision and commitment to action, along with balance and coordination of resources.
Shaping Our Social Circles
In the spirit of becoming a 24/7 community, we began piloting the use of a social media calendar. This structured approach aims to enhance PMCA’s visibility across all social media channels, while also putting more responsibility on the other standing committees for content and committee-specific announcements. Going forward, we have also identified a path to keeping our social media platforms relevant to members and potential members alike.
Our members love connecting with friends and colleagues, so we added a casual get-together for production conference attendees at the historic Montgomery House, located inside the Lancaster Convention Center. The gathering gave attendees a chance to connect in a relaxing environment before the start of the event.
Beyond Brand
Two years ago, we revitalized our brand. This past year, we invested in global brand awareness.
Our first structured promotional campaign included trade publication advertising domestically and in Europe, targeted direct mail, online promotion opportunities, industry event participation and building partnerships with other industry organizations.
That’s a 10% increase from last year! With so many ways to contribute, it’s hard NOT to be involved.
That’s close to 90 hours! We must like each other a lot.
Special projects our sub-committees drive include various production conference activities, short course planning and online/digital enhancement projects.
MANY WAYS TO LEARN
Confectionery Learning, On Your Time
Our On-Demand Content Sub-Committee has been working diligently behind the scenes to develop a free, members-only learning environment. The website incorporates aspects of the production conference, short courses, technical library and more into a premium resource available free for all PMCA members. This new step toward an increasingly digital paradigm will create unlimited possibilities for enhancing the companies and careers of our members.
PMCA presented the “What FSMA Means for Your Company Today” webinar in October and continues to explore new topics relevant to member needs.
You Had to Be There
71st Annual Production Conference
Basics & Beyond – Panning: Art & Science in Harmony
“Engaging, informative, knowledgeable.”
Tuesday Technical Sessions
“Excellent, passionate, experienced presenters.”
Workshop – Starch & Starchless Moulding
“The workshop was wonderful, from the jelly candy making to the center finishing.”
Hosted Display – Viva Vanilla: The Orchid!
“Great theme! I especially loved all the tasting and scent samples of different types of vanilla and vanillin.”
Learning by Doing – Panning Course at Richardson Brands
Our Instructors:
Michelle Frame, Victus Ars
Scott Bergeron, Mantrose-Haeuser
Pam Gesford, The Hershey Company
Michael Gordon, Capol LLC
Anthony Habib, Habib Global Consulting
Peter Jamieson, Atlas Point Technical Services
Walter Vink, Vink Associates, Inc.
“Obviously, some of the best collective knowledge in the industry.”
A DECADE OF GUIDING FUTURE GENERATIONS
Student Outreach Program Celebrates a Milestone
This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Student Outreach Program. Barry Glazier, Mars Chocolate, founded the program in 2007 and served as its leader for five years. Mark Freeman, Shank’s Extracts, assumed the leadership position in 2012, continuing to foster growth and success. Since its inception, Brandy Kresge, PMCA, has worked closely with committee members, mentors and students. The instrumental dedication of these individuals has allowed the program to become an invaluable experience for aspiring confectioners.
Congratulations to the 2017 Future Confectionery Leader Award recipients, six young confectioners who participated in the Student Outreach Program and now have careers in the industry:
Erin Fleming, Mars Chocolate NA
Caitlin Harvey, Blommer Chocolate Company
Hilary Long, The Hershey Company
Carly Meck, Blommer Chocolate Company
Tessa Porter, Glanbia Performance Nutrition
Melissa Tisoncik, Blommer Chocolate Company
OUR JOURNEY CONTINUES
As we move into the next year, we plan to continue building brand awareness of PMCA as a year-round community resource. By providing valuable programs for companies of all sizes, we’ll strive to grow and diversify our membership base.
Stability and relevance is important to longevity, so we will continue to evolve programs that engage the next generations of confectioners. We’ll work to enhance educational, networking and personal growth opportunities across all programs, and remain attuned to new technologies and methods of interaction with our members.
Our vibrant community of professional confectioners continues to drive the association forward, reaching goals and setting new ones, with the primary goal of helping our members provide products to the world that bring people…