IPEC 2025 was held in Atlantic City, N.J. Photo Credit: Matt Klinger, MAD Pix Pro
New year, new Northstar events! This season's lineup of hosted-buyer events is geared toward independent planners, international buyers and event professionals sourcing luxury-focused venues. Register now, or view Northstar's full events calendar for 2026.
IPEC
Northstar's Independent Planner Education Conference will gather Feb. 4-6 at the Gila River Resorts & Casino – Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Ariz. The leading event produced exclusively for independent planners who are not associated with third-party organizations, IPEC will include education sessions from Debbie Garcia, founder and CEO of Virsitour, on stage with Brett Sterenson, president of Hotel Lobbyist; Jill Joerling Blood, lead legal counsel for Maritz; and Paralympian Blake Leeper. On the final day, industry consultant Howard Givner will lead an optional bootcamp that dives deeper into important topics for independent planning businesses.
Luxury & Wellness Meetings
Event professionals will convene March 1-3 for the Luxury & Wellness Meetings event at the new Appellation Healdsburg in California, which opened its doors in September. The gathering is designed for North American planners seeking luxury-focused venues and incorporating wellness into the agenda for their meetings or incentives. The itinerary includes networking receptions, education sessions, one-on-one appointments and wellness activities.
SMU International
The annual Successful Meetings University International returns to the New York Marriott Marquis, March 9-11. Meeting and incentive buyers who are actively sourcing international programs will meet with hotels, resorts, tourism offices, cruise lines and DMCs from around the world. In the past, education sessions have been led by Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS News; Janette Roush, senior vice president of innovation and chief AI officer at Brand USA; and Richard Quest, CNN's international business correspondent.