Hosted meeting and event planners recently gathered in Knoxville, Tenn., for one in a series of Northstar Meetings Group's Small & Boutique Meetings events, taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with and discover new destinations and venues that are perfect for meetings of 100 room nights or fewer on peak.
The hosted-buyer event was held at the Marriott Downtown Knoxville, and participants were treated to a variety of activities that showcased what the area has to offer groups.
Assessing industry challenges
Participants gained valuable insight into the current state of the hospitality industry from a thoughtful presentation by the always perceptive Michael Dominguez, president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International.
"It's been a hard year to get through, with a lot of chaos and a lot of uncertainty, but overall, let me tell you, we're doing okay," Dominguez acknowledged — and he went on to provide helpful observations about the year to come.
For instance, with the World Cup coming to the United States next year, he explained that meetings that might take place before, during and after the tournament are causing severe compression for planners over those dates. "In a lot of cases, we're going to take 12 months' worth of meetings, and we're going to shove them into 10 months," he said. "But don't run away from the places hosting the World Cup, because they're going to have a bunch of gaps between matches."
Supercharged inspiration
Tales of NASCAR racing also energized the group, as Jennifer Jo Cobb, one of the few women who have made their way around the track successfully, recounted stories about her dedication, challenges and triumphs.
"That worst thing that happened to you, that you're never going to recover from, that has you on your knees crying your eyes out — the worst thing that you could possibly imagine could turn out to be a blessing in disguise," she pointed out. "And I've had a lot of both of those things throughout my racing career."
Experiencing Tennessee sunshine
Following the first productive round of hosted-buyer appointments, attendees had three options for seeing Knoxville: taking a walking tour past gorgeous murals and local shops; winding down the Tennessee River on the Volunteer Princess yacht; or spending time at the Knoxville Zoo.
The support of Northstar Meetings Group's generous partners ensured that the event was a success: Visit Knoxville; Marriott Knoxville Downtown; Big Cedar Lodge; Hamilton County, Indiana; Visit Jacksonville; Bowling Green Area CVB; Kalahari Resorts & Conventions; Visit Montgomery; Madison Avenue, and PC Nametag.
Northstar's next Small & Boutique Meetings hosted-buyer event will take place May 28-30, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. Check out our calendar for more Northstar events taking place in the next 12 months. All photos below were taken by Ketara Gadahn of Studio Alani.
