What began as a vision to close the hospitality industry’s talent pipeline gap became a landmark moment on October 11, when nearly 300 industry leaders gathered at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and raised $1 million in a single evening.

An Evening of Legacy and Leadership, held in honor of Brian D. Stevens, founder of ConferenceDirect, drew 290 professionals from across the meetings, events, tourism and hospitality sectors — and resulted in the formal launch of the Brian D. Stevens Hospitality Education Fund. The fund will support scholarships and educational opportunities for the next generation of industry leaders.

The gala, emceed by Roger Dow, CEO of Dow Global and former president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, featured tributes from an extraordinary cross-section of the industry: Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta, U.S. Ambassador Joe Popolo, Cardinal Roger Mahony, and the heads of ASAE, PCMA, MPI and Destinations International, among many others. It was a rare gathering that reflected both the depth of Stevens’s relationships and the breadth of his influence over five decades.

The fund’s founding members — Ray Bloom of IMEX Group, Mike Gamble of SearchWide Global, Jerry Horan and Stevens from ConferenceDirect, Sherrif Karamat of PCMA, Michelle Mason of ASAE, Paul Van Deventer of MPI, and Don Welsh of Destinations International — represent a coalition seldom seen in the industry. The fund also received prominent recognition at IMEX America 2026, where it was highlighted alongside the redeveloped Future Leaders Lab as a marker of the industry’s commitment to its own talent future.

For Stevens, who is stepping into retirement after more than 45 years in hospitality, the evening carried personal meaning. “The evening was humbling, seeing ASAE, PCMA, MPI and Destinations International come together with IMEX to give me a send-off into retirement with a lasting legacy through an educational scholarship fund,” he said.

To contribute to the fund and help build the next generation of hospitality and meetings professionals, visit bdshef.org.