Case Study: ConferenceDirect’s Inaugural The Meeting Summit

March 4, 2026

ConferenceDirect recently hosted its first hosted-buyer event in New Orleans to resounding success, despite weather-related challenges. In a discussion with J.J. Wills, senior vice president of marketing programs and business development at ConferenceDirect, we highlight the purpose of the event, challenges and successes, and lessons learned.

What was the event?

A: The Meeting Summit was ConferenceDirect’s first annual hosted-buyer style event designed to bring together our customers with short-term meetings and preferred hotel partners for intentional networking, education and business development.

The Summit combines general sessions, curated one-to-one appointments, immersive destination experiences and wellness activities to foster meaningful relationship-building in a focused, high-impact environment.

Where was the event held?

A: The 2026 Meeting Summit was held January 26–28, 2026 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans. New Orleans provided a vibrant cultural backdrop that enhanced networking and experiential elements throughout the program.

Read More: Notes from the Road: New Orleans

What was the event’s purpose?

Businessperson at event talking to woman dressed in costume

The purpose of The Meeting Summit is to create a strategic, relationship-driven environment where business gets done efficiently and authentically.

We designed the Summit to:

Facilitate productive one-to-one appointments between meeting planners and hotel partners
Provide timely industry education
Strengthen community among ConferenceDirect associates, customers and partners
Deliver experiential moments that reflect the host destination

Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment where attendees leave feeling connected, supported and inspired—while also generating measurable business value.

Any challenges/successes to name from this event?

A significant winter storm impacted travel across multiple regions of the country, resulting in last-minute flight cancellations and a lower-than-expected in-person attendance.

Despite this challenge, the event team quickly pivoted to ensure strong engagement for those onsite. Adjustments were made to appointment schedules, seating configurations, food and beverage guarantees. Back-up plans for outdoor activities were executed to keep attendees comfortable and safe. And content on the agenda was juggled to accommodate a speaker with cancelled flights. The energy remained high, and attendees expressed appreciation for the flexibility and proactive communication.

One success was the resilience of the community. Rather than dampening momentum, the shared challenge created an even stronger sense of camaraderie among those who were able to attend.

Any unique aspects of your event that would be helpful to share with our readers? How did these impact the success of your event?

We intentionally integrated destination-driven storytelling into the program.

For our opening general session, we featured beverage historian, Elizabeth Pearce, who shared the history of New Orleans through its iconic cocktails. This approach connected attendees to the culture of the city in an engaging and memorable way, transforming a traditional opening session into an immersive experience.

We also incorporated afternoon wellness programming, including a pickleball tournament. Rather than defaulting to passive downtime, we created an opportunity for informal networking through activity. The result was organic relationship-building in a relaxed setting—and a lot of laughter.

“Transportation” on our last night included a traditional New Orleans “second line” band to parade the attendees from dinner to the afterparty at the House of Blues Foundation Room.

These elements reinforced that meaningful engagement often happens outside of formal meeting rooms.

What lessons were learned about how to create engaging events?

Build flexibility into the framework. Weather and travel disruptions are realities. Having contingency plans and adaptable staffing models is essential.
Make the destination part of the content. When education reflects the host city’s culture, attendees feel more immersed and connected.
Balance structure with spontaneity. Scheduled appointments drive ROI, but wellness activities and experiential moments create emotional resonance.
Proactive communication builds trust. During disruption, consistent updates and solution-oriented messaging strengthen confidence among attendees and partners.
Community drives success. When attendees feel part of something bigger than a transactional event, engagement deepens.

Anything else you’d like to share that you believe our readers would like to know?

The Meeting Summit reinforces that business events can be both highly productive and deeply human.

Even amid travel challenges, the strength of relationships, adaptability of our partners and intentional program design ensured the event delivered value.

Additionally, we incorporated a corporate social responsibility element, donating centerpieces to the New Orleans Women’s & Children’s Shelter—extending the impact of the event into the local community.

We are proud of the collaboration among our vendor partners and the spirit of partnership that brought the event to life.