The annual hosted-buyer event for meeting professionals sourcing programs across the region, Northstar's Destination Southwest was held Dec. 1-3 at The George Hotel and Cavalry Court Hotel in College Station, Texas.
This year, attendees consisted of 46 planners and 47 suppliers from Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The gathering began with a site inspection of the two Valencia Collection properties, followed by a cozy opening reception complete with Texan cuisine and live music.
For the first education session, Julie Austin, CEO of Creative Innovation Group, discussed how to survive disruption and unique innovation strategies for creating a competitive advantage.
Following a morning of one-on-one appointments, attendees ventured to the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center College Station for a tour, lunch and a gravity-defying performance by the Texas A&M University Aggie Wranglers.
The rest of the afternoon was spent doing various activities, including a behind-the-scenes and on-the-field look at Texas A&M Football's Kyle Field, a visit to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and a shopping spree in Century Square.
On the last day, Robert Holzweiss, the deputy director of the George H.W. Bush Library and a visiting adjunct history professor at Texas A&M, brought a local touch to the event by sharing his journey to College Station.
After more one-on-one appointments, Discover Denton sponsored a farewell lunch, where El Paso, Texas, was announced as the host for Destination Southwest 2026.
Visit Northstar's calendar to view upcoming events and register your interest. The following photo highlights from Destination Southwest were taken by Matt Klinger of MAD Pix Pro.