Monday, November 16
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
FICP Master Class: The Power of AI Agents, Skills and Workflows — Helping Event Professionals Work Smarter, Not Harder
Areas of Interest: Event Operations and Logistics
Speaker: James Spellos, President, Meeting U,
You've gotten good at prompting, but the chat window is only the front door of AI, not the entire house. Behind it are agents that can execute multi-step tasks and skills that teach AI software your company's unique templates, preferences and standards, so you don't have to start from scratch every time. Beyond that are workflows and custom tools that connect the systems you already use and help you build solutions you don't yet have. Together, these capabilities unlock new ways to automate tasks, streamline processes, and get more value from AI. In this master class, we'll take a deeper dive into AI agents, skills and workflows and explore how event professionals can deploy them today to work smarter, not just harder. Learn how to set up and customize AI agents, enhance efficiency, conduct research more effectively, and transform event and business data into actionable insights. This session is repeated every breakout timeslot!
From Brand Visibility to Business Impact: A Peer Discussion on Reimagining Sponsorships
Areas of Interest: Event Design and Innovations; Event Operations and Logistics
What does sponsorship mean today, and how do you measure its success? Join your peers for an interactive discussion on how sponsorships are evolving beyond traditional brand exposure to strategic partnerships that create memorable experiences and deeper connections. Explore changing stakeholder expectations, innovative partnership models, compliance considerations and practical approaches for measuring ROI. Bring your challenges, ideas and examples as we discuss what sponsorship success looks like today and where it's headed next.
Own the Room: Elevate Your Executive Presence, Persuasion and Impact
Areas of Interest: Professional Growth and Personal Development
Speaker: Meridith Elliott Powell, MBA, CSP, CPAE, Business Growth and Sales Expert
You already have the skills to be in the deliberation room. Now it's time to hone your executive presence to shape what happens in it. In this industry, the professionals who rise aren't the ones who execute flawlessly and stay quiet – they're the ones who walk into a room, read it instantly and position themselves as the one voice worth listening to. Join Hall of Fame Speaker and Business Growth Strategist, Meridith Elliott Powell, for a powerful workshop designed to give strategic event professionals the tools to build a personal brand people trust, sharpen their persuasion and gain a seat at the table while decisions are still being made. Come ready to roll up your sleeves, engage and walk out with your personal plan of action to increase your presence, persuasion and partnership. This session is repeated on Monday, November 16 at 1:15 p.m.
Practical Event Security Tactics: Readiness in an Unpredictable World
Areas of Interest: Event Operations and Logistics
Physical safety and security have risen to the top of planners' priority lists – but knowing where to invest time and resources can be daunting. This panel brings together peers and security experts to share practical tips, real-world examples and lessons learned from supporting meetings and events of all sizes. From simple enhancements that improve attendee safety to larger risks that may require additional planning and budget, you'll gain actionable insights to help protect your people, your event and your organization.
1:15-2:15 p.m.
FICP Master Class: The Power of AI Agents, Skills and Workflows — Helping Event Professionals Work Smarter, Not Harder
Areas of Interest: Event Operations and Logistics
Speaker: James Spellos, President, Meeting U,
You've gotten good at prompting, but the chat window is only the front door of AI, not the entire house. Behind it are agents that can execute multi-step tasks and skills that teach AI software your company's unique templates, preferences and standards, so you don't have to start from scratch every time. Beyond that are workflows and custom tools that connect the systems you already use and help you build solutions you don't yet have. Together, these capabilities unlock new ways to automate tasks, streamline processes, and get more value from AI. In this master class, we'll take a deeper dive into AI agents, skills and workflows and explore how event professionals can deploy them today to work smarter, not just harder. Learn how to set up and customize AI agents, enhance efficiency, conduct research more effectively, and transform event and business data into actionable insights. This session is repeated every breakout timeslot!
Fleurish, Don't Just Function: Preventing Burnout and Building Performance That Lasts
Areas of Interest: Professional Growth and Personal Development
Speaker: Shayna Bergman, PCC, CPC, ELI-MP, SHRM-SCP, Executive and Leadership Coach
Weeks on the road. Back-to-back client meetings. A version of yourself that shows up polished for everyone but the people on your team or the ones waiting at home. This session names what most busy professionals struggle to say out loud: Burnout isn't about doing too much. It's actually about doing too much of the wrong things for too long.
We'll get honest about what is actually driving your decisions right now and walk away with real strategies for staying sharp with clients, present with your team and at home, and connected to yourself in between. This isn't another wellness talk. It's a working session for people who are ready to stop just functioning and start fleurishing.
Own the Room: Elevate Your Executive Presence, Persuasion and Impact
Areas of Interest: Professional Growth and Personal Development
Speaker: Meridith Elliott Powell, MBA, CSP, CPAE, Business Growth and Sales Expert
You already have the skills to be in the deliberation room. Now it's time to hone your executive presence to shape what happens in it. In this industry, the professionals who rise aren't the ones who execute flawlessly and stay quiet – they're the ones who walk into a room, read it instantly and position themselves as the one voice worth listening to. Join Hall of Fame Speaker and Business Growth Strategist, Meridith Elliott Powell, for a powerful workshop designed to give strategic event professionals the tools to build a personal brand people trust, sharpen their persuasion and gain a seat at the table while decisions are still being made. Come ready to roll up your sleeves, engage and walk out with your personal plan of action to increase your presence, persuasion and partnership. This session is a repeat of Monday, November 16 at 1:15 p.m.
Translating Event Data Into Stories That Influence Stakeholders
Areas of Interest: Measurement and Optimization
What metrics matter most? Join a panel of strategic professionals as they share real-world examples of partnering with stakeholders to establish meaningful KPIs and measure attendee behaviors that drive business outcomes. Learn how data and AI can uncover actionable insights and support reporting that resonates with executives. Unpack how to turn event data into compelling stories that demonstrate value, influence future investment, and inform smarter event decisions. What we do matters – and we need to tell our story.
Tuesday, November 17
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
FICP Master Class: The Power of AI Agents, Skills and Workflows — Helping Event Professionals Work Smarter, Not Harder
Areas of Interest: Event Operations and Logistics
Speaker: James Spellos, President, Meeting U,
You've gotten good at prompting, but the chat window is only the front door of AI, not the entire house. Behind it are agents that can execute multi-step tasks and skills that teach AI software your company's unique templates, preferences and standards, so you don't have to start from scratch every time. Beyond that are workflows and custom tools that connect the systems you already use and help you build solutions you don't yet have. Together, these capabilities unlock new ways to automate tasks, streamline processes, and get more value from AI. In this master class, we'll take a deeper dive into AI agents, skills and workflows and explore how event professionals can deploy them today to work smarter, not just harder. Learn how to set up and customize AI agents, enhance efficiency, conduct research more effectively, and transform event and business data into actionable insights. This session is repeated every breakout timeslot!
Fight Club With Priya Parker: An Interactive Practice Session for Building Conflict-Competent Teams
Areas of Interest: Professional Growth and Personal Development
Speaker: Priya Parker, Conflict Facilitator, Strategic Advisor and Author Brought to you by Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau
In her new book, The Art of Fighting, Priya Parker asserts the following thesis: people don’t fight about what they don’t care about. Many of us struggle with conflict: we want to believe that a fight will go away on its own, or that ongoing disagreements are insurmountable challenges with no path forward. In reality, conflict is an opportunity to reassert a group’s identity and vision. To grow as a group, we must shift our mental model from “conflict as dysfunction” to “conflict as a high-performance culture-building” skill. In this highly interactive session, Parker teaches audiences how to practice low-stakes conflict to build strength and skills for higher-stakes fights. Parker helps attendees self-diagnose their own conflict style and teaches how it impacts leadership style. Crucially, she provides an environment where attendees can disagree in a way that feels fun, humorous and safe. Parker uses decades of research, real-world examples and dynamic exercises to demystify conflict and reframe it as a skill that all high-performing teams should build. Participants will leave with tools, examples and real-world experience that will enable them to build a culture of healthy heat within their teams, approach conflict with openness and curiosity and re-frame discomfort with conflict as an opportunity for progress.
Personalization and Luxury Experiences: A Peer Discussion on Planning Events Worth Attendees’ Time
Areas of Interest: Event Design and Innovations
Building on the ideas explored in the keynote, The Art of Gathering, participate in this peer discussion on designing intentional, personalized experiences that drive engagement and deliver measurable value. Explore how organizations are applying luxury-inspired design principles, tailoring experiences at scale, and creating environments that encourage desired attendee behaviors. Share ideas, exchange best practices, and learn how peers evaluate the success of these investments.
Travel Disruption and Risk Are Inevitable. What Should You Actually Focus on and Prepare For?
Areas of Interest: Business Management
The 2026 FICP Pulse Survey identified economic uncertainty, attendee safety, and travel disruptions as leading concerns for meeting professionals, with 53% expecting travel budgets to increase in 2027. Rather than simply discussing the risks, this panel will focus on what planners should do about them. Learn how to identify the travel and geopolitical trends most likely to impact your events, prepare for rising costs and attendee risk and incorporate risk-informed decision-making into site selection, travel planning and contingency preparation. Walk away with practical strategies to strengthen event resilience.