The first Small & Boutique Meetings of the year was held this month in Montgomery, Texas. Photo Credit: Matt Klinger, Mad Pix Pro Photography
Temperatures are heating up and so are Northstar's hosted-buyer events. Meeting professionals have the opportunity to book business with hotels, destinations, cruise lines and more, from the Caribbean to California. Click here to view Northstar's full calendar.
Small & Boutique Meetings – Summer
Small & Boutique Meetings – Summer will be held June 9-11 at the Hotel Distil in Louisville, Ky. The event is designed to connect suppliers with planners who are sourcing programs for 100 people or less. Greg Bogue, chief brand and experience officer for Maritz, and Meridan Zerner, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Cooper Aerobics and Wellness, will speak about event-design strategies and menu planning with mood-boosting foods, respectively.
Following a successful inaugural event in 2022 and two more iterations in 2023, Small & Boutique Meetings is happening three times this year. The spring event already took place at the Margaritaville Lake Resort in Montgomery, Texas, while the Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe in California will host this fall.
Destination West
Meeting professionals can celebrate the start of summer at Destination West on June 20-22. Hosted by Snowmass Tourism and the Viewline Resort in Colorado, the event attracts destinations, hotels, DMOs and more from states across the western region of the U.S. The keynote session will be led by Scott Mercier, a former Olympian and professional cyclist who made a life-changing decision while a member of the infamous U.S. Postal Services Cycling Team.
Destination Midwest
Destination Midwest will take place Aug. 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency Wichita in Kansas. Planners will meet with representatives from hotels, DMCs, destinations and other suppliers from states throughout the Midwest. The agenda is comprised of networking receptions, education sessions and activities that will showcase Wichita.
Destination Southeast
This year, Destination Southeast will be at the Grand Hotel Resort and Spa in Alabama on Aug. 18-20, the first time that state has hosted the event. Destination Southeast brings together qualified meeting and incentive planners with tourism offices, technology providers and cruise lines from states across the region, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Destination Caribbean
Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas is hosting Destination Caribbean on Sept. 4-7. The event is designed for planners who are looking to book business with suppliers from across the Caribbean. Attendees will tour the Atlantis and the Margaritaville Resort Nassau, participate in a CSR program, and go on a Catamaran/snorkeling excursion or on a history tour with rum and chocolate tastings. Past exhibitors include the Aruba Convention Bureau, the Marriott Grand Cayman and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
Destination California
Destination California will be held Sept. 5-7 at the Pasea Hotel and Spa in Huntington Beach, where industry professionals will meet with California's top hotels, CVBs, venues and more. Event sponsors include Visit California, Greater Ontario California and Visit Newport Beach.