The Biggest Missed Opportunity for Planners

Connection may be king, but most events still aren’t designed for it. New research reveals the data behind this gap — and some opportunities you may be overlooking — in 2026 event experience design. MORE

How Rising Energy Costs Are Reshaping Site Sourcing

With the war in Iran and the resulting fallout causing jet fuel and gasoline costs to surge, the ripple effects are being felt from air ticket pricing to ground transportation, fundamentally changing how planners score and shortlist destinations. MORE

What's on the Menu

Here are 8 of the top culinary trends shaping group meetings and events in 2026. MORE

Hotel Security Hits the Headlines

After the Washington Hilton breach, event security in the hotel environment is getting renewed scrutiny. MORE

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Who's New at ConferenceDirect in May 2026

Welcome to ConferenceDirect’s newest associates! MORE

ConferenceDirect is a global meetings solutions company offering site selection/contract negotiation, conference management, housing & registration services, mobile app technology, virtual and hybrid events, marketing support for meetings, and strategic meetings management solutions. It provides expertise to 4,400+ associations, corporations, and sporting authorities through our 400+ global associates. www.conferencedirect.com

MeetingMentor is a business journal for senior meeting planners that is distributed in print and digital editions to the clients, prospects, and associates of ConferenceDirect, which handles over 13,000 worldwide meetings, conventions, and incentives annually. www.meetingmentormag.com